Souvenir buying, of course, is a big part of traveling: a survey by the Travel Industry Association found that almost 63 percent of travelers said that a vacation just isn’t complete without some shopping—and that 20 percent spend $500 or more on a given trip.
A lot of those purchases are clothing, it turns out, or gifts for people back home, and Underhill says that the latter play a big role in the souvenir-buying mind-set. “When we’re shopping for someone else, it gives us the liberty to buy things that we might not buy for ourselves,” he says, shedding some light on that horse hoof.
For most of us, quality trumps quantity when it comes to those mementos we bring home: something that recalls the destination with flair. Street markets, museum shops, and independent stores that are off the tourist grid are typically the best bets for good finds. “As Americans we are surrounded with the ubiquity of sameness,” says Underhill. “Here, there’s a Gap on every corner, so when we see something truly different, it’s almost startling.” Some people even get a new tummy on vacation.
Plastic surgery travel is increasing in popularity. Many people who travel for cosmetic surgery get interesting work done. Some have such procedures as a Los Angeles tummy tuck to take home.
