Protect Your Bubble research shows brits will take £528 of tech away on holiday this summer – yet a third will risk the trip insurance-free.

We recently conducted a survey which showed of the 34 million Brits planning holidays this year alone, the average traveller will be setting off with £528 worth of tech in tow.

In fact, we’re so hooked on tech as a nation that 13% of holidaymakers will pack their suitcases with more than £1,000 worth of tech.

Yet despite this, a third of Brits travelling abroad will go away with no insurance in place to protect their gadgets. And with a staggering £6.4 billion of tech having been lost, damaged or stolen on holidays over the last two years, this is a considerable risk to take.

Have you ever considered gadget insurance? Travelers take a wide variety of tech on holiday, tablets to keep the kids happy, e-readers for when they are soaking up the sun by the pool or on the beach and of course mobile phones to give all our mates holiday envy with social updates! So it’s worth thinking about covering them against accidental damage, lost and theft** and Protect Your Bubble gadget insurance covers items worldwide.

Our research also revealed the locations where the most misfortune has happened in recent years. Brits are most likely to have had their gadgets stolen from their hotel room in France (14%), Italy (10%) and the USA (10%), while holidaymakers are most likely to have been targeted by pickpockets in Turkey (11%), Greece (10%), and Spain (8%).

But thieves aren’t the only ones to blame – all manner of accidents have happened while tech has been in seemingly safe hands. The most common ways for damage to have occurred on holiday are dropping the gadget while walking (26%), dropping it in the swimming pool (19%), and water damage from the sea (15%).

A clumsy 17% have left a gadget out in direct sunlight and had the device overheat – yet less than half (46%) realise this can cause a touchscreen to stop working if left in the sun for too long.

Below are some examples of the funny, frustrating and downright frightening tech mishaps that have happened to Brits on holiday in recent years:

Funny:

• A monkey stole my phone whilst we were at a monkey sanctuary
• I dropped my phone down a portal loo at a donkey sanctuary and a member of staff had to fish it out

   

  Frustrating:

• We had a camera stolen on holiday, which we replaced. My daughter hid the new camera under some towels by the pool to keep it safe. As I got out of the pool I grabbed a towel – just as I saw the new camera sinking to the bottom of the pool
• I bought an underwater camera case, which worked for a couple of days – until one day I picked the case up to find it was full of seawater and my camera was broken

   

  Frightening:

• I was mugged at knife point in Madrid, followed by two other attempted robberies – all in one weekend

Here’s what Rob Basinger, our head of UK had to say on the matter: “Holidays should be a time for sun, sand and sea, but unfortunately all too many Brits are suffering from tech troubles when they should be relaxing.

“The age of being able to easily rescue a water-damaged phone in a bag of rice is long gone, and with many flagship smartphones now costing more than £600, Instagramming by the pool or Snapchatting at the beach comes at a potentially enormous cost.

“While our research suggests that Brits on holiday in Turkey are most likely to be pickpocketed and those in France are most likely to have gadgets stolen from their hotel room, thieves target distracted tourists everywhere. Stay vigilant, look out for anything suspicious and keep your valuables secure and hidden when possible.

“Smartphones and cameras are now a key element of the holiday experience, whether for local maps, staying in touch with friends and family at home or simply taking envy-inducing photos to post online, but you needn’t give this up to keep your gadgets safe from harm.

“Ensure you have appropriate cover for your valuables, and double check any existing travel insurance policies cover all of your devices before you jet off.”

Summary:

• Average Brit will take £528 of tech away on holiday this year - although 13% plan on taking gadgets worth more than £1,000
• Yet more than a third (35%) have no insurance in place to protect these
• A whopping £6.4 billion of tech has been lost, damaged or stolen on holidays over the last two years

• Travellers are likeliest to have gadgets stolen from their hotel room in France, Italy and USA, while Brits are most likely to be pickpocketed in Turkey, Greece and Spain

Survey of 2,000 UK adults commissioned by Protect Your Bubble via Censuswide. Data collected 19/07/17 – 21/07/17.

*According to ONS there are currently 51,339,161 UK adults. 66.1% of respondents said they were going on one or more holidays this year. 66.1% of 51,339,161 = 33,935,185

**Policy terms, conditions and excesses apply

For more information please contact:

Amelia Lupson, Rhizome Media
T 020 8004 5984 | E amelia@rhizomemedia.co