Las Vegas is the 'overspend capital' of the world

Updated
British tourists name Las Vegas the 'overspend capital' of the world
British tourists name Las Vegas the 'overspend capital' of the world

Las Vegas has been named by British holidaymakers as the place they're most likely to overspend, with some being forced to return home early after running out of money.

The bright lights of Vegas are followed by Paris and New York as the top three destinations that are likely to see you get in trouble with the bank manager.

New research from a UK money-saving brand found that 57 per cent of Britons have overspent during their holidays, with six per cent of Britons even having to return home early after running out of finances while away.

The vouchercloud.com survey polled 1,973 UK adults, all of whom were aged 18 and over had been on holiday in the past five years. There was an even gender split of male and female respondents. The survey formed part of the company's wider research into financial attitudes of the British public.

Initially, participants were asked "Have you ever gone over your spending budget whilst on holiday?" Over half (57 per cent) of respondents confessed that they had previously overspent on a holiday.

All respondents were asked to indicate which destinations they felt they would be most likely to overspend in when on holiday, with the top five revealed as:

1 Las Vegas – 63 per cent
2 Paris, France – 57 per cent
3 New York – 52 per cent
4 Venice, Italy – 46 per cent
5 Ibiza, Spain – 32 per cent

The survey then asked all respondents who had previously spent too much why they ended up spending more than they intended to.

The majority (55 per cent) stated that they had been "caught up in the excitement of being on holiday", while 33 per cent said they simply "had not budgeted well" for their trip.

And what are they blowing the budget on? Most holidaymakers said "activities and experiences" (42 per cent), with "souvenirs" at 31 per cent and 11 per cent of people saying "food and drinks" took up the biggest chunk.

Nearly half (45 per cent) said they had to draw extra money out whilst abroad, incurring bank charges, followed by 32 per cent saying they'd been forced to put items on their credit cards and 20 per cent had called upon family members and friends at home.

Matthew Wood of vouchercloud.com told Aol Travel: "It's easy to see why people overspend on holiday. You're often caught in the moment and just want to enjoy yourself, leaving all the financial constraints and worries at home. Plus, in the back of your mind, you know that you may only get one chance to see, do and buy these things; you might never go back to that destination again.

"The best way to get round this, which is often overlooked during the planning process, is to do a bit more research into what the destination and local area has to offer before you step foot anywhere near a plane. There is plenty of information on the net and in travel guides, which will mean you can budget effectively with a level head and avoid any unexpected expenditure whilst enjoying your holiday."

Need to save your pennies? Try these top value destinations:





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