Fifth of Young Holidaymakers Return Home with Tattoo

Normal holiday souvenirs usually include a key ring or three, a quirky ashtray or wind chime made of shells. However, our latest survey has revealed that it is now not an uncommon occurrence for young adult British holidaymakers to return home with a slightly different souvenir having been abroad for a break... a tattoo!

It would appear that traditional souvenirs like sticks of rock are no longer enough for many people as a reminder of their holiday, as almost a fifth of young people have returned home from a holiday abroad with a tattoo.

We carried out a poll in a bid to discover what, if anything, young British holidaymakers had previously returned home with; aside from the more typical souvenirs. 1,790 young adults, aged 18-25, in the UK took part in the study and answered questions about holidays they had been on in the past.

When asked if they had ever had a tattoo when on holiday abroad, a fifth of those polled said that they had.

When asked, 'Have you ever had a tattoo when on holiday abroad?' 19% of those polled admitted that they had. These respondents were then asked what sort of tattoo this had been and were told to select all that applied from a list if they had had more than one tattoo on holiday.

The most popular tattoos acquired on holiday abroad, in terms of designs, were as follows:

Stars 27%

Motto/phrase 22%

Heart 16%

Flowers 11%

Tribal 8%

All respondents were asked whether they knew someone who had had a tattoo done whilst abroad. Despite just 19% having one done themselves on holiday, 54% said they knew someone who had had a tattoo done whilst on holiday.

Two thirds of those that had chosen to get a tattoo on holiday claimed to regret their choice

The majority of those respondents who admitted to having a tattoo done whilst on holiday were girls; comprising 65% of the total number of respondents who had got a tattoo abroad. Furthermore, of those who had chosen to get a tattoo on holiday, two thirds, 67%, claimed to regret their choice.

Whilst getting a tattoo on holiday might seem like a great idea at the time, it's important to consider how you'll feel about it when you get home! We'd recommend using your coming sense before going under the needle, as what seems cool when you've had a little too much Sangria, might not seem as awesome when you're left with some Chinese symbols on your bicep.

---