> 25% of Brits take NO sun lotion abroad
> 44% take one bottle – three fewer than NHS recommendations
> Sun cream more expensive overseas – up to £17.45 in Ibiza
> Buy sunscreen in the UK to save
British holidaymakers don’t take enough sun cream on holiday – and the extra cost of stocking up abroad could be more than £100 per week for a family of four.
In a survey of 2,000 people by online travel agent Holiday Hypermarket, 25% said they take no sun lotion on their holiday and 44% take just one bottle per adult, well below NHS recommendations*.
And with sun-lotion costs significantly higher than the UK in many popular package holiday destinations, British families are bumping up their spending by buying extra protection when they’re on their break.
Holiday Hypermarket’s survey** asked how many 200ml bottles of sun lotion people take for each adult on a week-long sunshine holiday. Almost 90% of respondents said they take two or fewer – despite the NHS recommending four bottles per adult, the amount required to apply the equivalent of two teaspoons of lotion five times each day.
According to the Post Office Holiday Costs Barometer***, Britain is one of Europe’s cheapest locations to buy suntan lotion, with an average price of £4.50 for 200ml of branded factor 15 sun cream.
This compares favourably with many holiday hotspots: in Ibiza, the average cost for the same product is a sizzling £17.45; in Halkidiki in Greece, it’s £13.15; and in Limassol, Cyprus, the typical price is £12.71.
At these prices, a family of two adults and two young children who take just four bottles of sun cream for a one-week holiday in Ibiza – well below the NHS-recommended number of 12 bottles – would have to spend an extra £103 to buy eight more bottles during their break.
In Halkidiki, the cost of buying extra sun protection for four is £69, and in Limassol it’s more than £65.
> For a table detailing costs across Europe, email [email protected].
Craig Duncan of Holiday Hypermarket says: ‘Cost is one of the most important considerations for any holiday, yet Brits are underestimating the amount of sun cream they need and then wasting hard-earned money by stocking up abroad.
‘A British family can spend an eye-watering £200 to buy extra lotion for a two week holiday in Ibiza. That could easily cover a few delicious family meals, a room upgrade or new holiday clothes.
‘Buying enough sun cream at a supermarket close to home is one of the most effective money-saving holiday hacks there is!’
For more information, a full breakdown of holiday costs across Europe, and an infographic explaining the survey results, visit Holiday Hypermarket.
