Souvenirs what and why we buy

Today, we will learn why buying souvenirs for loved ones is such a common practice! Souvenirs are like a solid validation of your travels. When you get a cute Color Relief mug with colorful images, it serves as a reminder of your happy memories while traveling. After returning home, a lot of people tend to feel the vacation blues. Holding onto the journey that seems so far away can feel cathartic.

Everyone needs a reminder once in a while that they actually went and had an adventure! Why do we buy souvenirs? Browsing through different colorful and intricate souvenirs can be an exciting experience. Also, there is always a nephew, a parent, a colleague or a friendly neighbor to whom you want to show that you are thinking about them.

Maybe the gift is for someone who helps by watering the plants in your garden while you are traveling. People describe that sometimes there is a piece that immediately makes them think about someone special and then they purchase it. Sometimes what matters is just a certain time, e. Often these purchases are made by people who want to show their experience and who are proud of having visited a place others could not.

In our times many people post every part of their traveling experience in social media such as Instagram or Facebook. Often, they capture moments in real time and the followers - family, friends or even strangers - witness the travel and take part in a small part of it.

Among tourism marketing specialists there is a discussion whether these posts are a kind of souvenir. They do capture evidence of the travel and can serve this purpose. But will they ever be the same? Can a picture or a comment take the place of a physical object that can be seen in the real world?

An interesting aspect is, that people who share their travel impressions in social media also buy more souvenirs compared to people who do not share every bit online. Research findings show that frequent social media posters are more apt to use souvenirs as gifts and souvenirs as evidence.

They help to remind special moments and unique experiences. They can be a great gift or an evidence of the travel, in any case something that triggers feelings and nostalgia.

However souvenirs are not always just miniature donkeys wearing sombreros from Spain or T shirts emblazoned with the slogan 'Went to London and all I got was this lousy t-shirt' Souvenirs are also referred to as keepsakes or mementos and can be any item that somebody keeps for the memories it brings back. Many people like to take a little something home with them as a reminder of their travels, something to show for where they have been, something they can use to look back and reminisce about the fantastic experience they had during their holiday.

Not to mention, displaying such a memento around the home can be a great conversation starter when you have guests.

After all, buying souvenirs is part and parcel of the fun holiday experience. Tourists also tend to take lots of gifts and novelties back home for friends, relatives and work colleagues. This can happen a lot especially if you are on holiday with children! Nonetheless, souvenirs are not always linked with destinations though.

Many people collect commemorative memorabilia of special events such as Royal Family weddings and merchandise to show support for their favourite popular football or basket ball teams, or even entertainment merchandise which features their favourite movies. Souvenirs that are typical of a particular geographical location are often used a gifts at special events as well as wedding favours.

Nowadays lots of holiday makers are doing their souvenir shopping online, sometimes even prior to or after they travel from the comfort of their own homes. This is mainly due to the increase of online shopping and the availability of such items on the internet. Without traipsing through shop after shop, trying to find the right gift at the right price, and remembering everyone you have to buy for, ordering through the internet conveniently allows you to make the most of your time on holiday and sort the presents out when it suits you best.

Also once your trip has come to an end, if you have forgot to buy for someone, or in the unfortunate event that you may have lost or broken a souvenir that was very dear to you, you would be able to come across and purchase the same item on the internet in order to replace it. A souvenir does not have to be something that has been purchased from a store. During your travels, there are quite a few delightful little objects that can be acquired along the way, which can more often than not have some sort of sentimental value over products that you have bought from a gift shop.

These types of things could be quite possibly insignificant to someone else, although having a great deal of importance to the owner, and mean a lot as a symbol of a past experience. Or even cardboard coasters from various coffee shops, bars and restaurants where you have enjoyed your meal or evening out, there are numerous ideas for charming little keepsakes that can be picked up here and there. Natural items such as shells, pine cones, pressed leaves and flowers are also quaint ideas for personal keepsakes which look spectacular when displayed in glass vases and jars.

Different parts of the world have their own version of souvenirs and collecting unique items from around the world is a wonderful way to commemorate your adventures or your love for that particular country or place.

There are so many different types of souvenir ideas to choose from. An authentic item which has actually been made in the country you have travelled to is a superb idea, such as a decorative marble plate from India, a traditional wooden Kokeshi doll from Japan or even possum wool gloves from New Zealand for example.

London is a hugely popular shopping destination, pulling in thousands of tourists from around the world each year. There are so many shops offering multitudes of gift ideas , you can really end up spoilt for choice. To make things easier, we have put together a break-down of a few of the great gifts that you can take home from the city.

The red Routemaster bus is a well known symbol of London and loved by many.