Bringing home a souvenir from a holiday is an opportunity to symbolise or remember a special trip, or a chance to show someone how much you missed them.
Whatever the occasion, many of us enjoy buying souvenirs when we travel. But which souvenirs are the most popular in countries around the world?
Popular Souvenirs From Around The World
Travel experts at Iglu Cruise have revealed the most common souvenirs from 20 of the most visited countries in the world.
The team used Google Trends Data to collect the findings, researching the most popular souvenir related term for each country.
| Country | Souvenir |
| Austria | Chocolate |
| Canada | Maple Syrup |
| China | Tea |
| France | Jewellery |
| Germany | Beer Stein |
| Greece | Jewellery |
| Hong Kong | Tea |
| Italy | Wine |
| Japan | Chopsticks |
| Malaysia | Jewellery |
| Mexico | Tequila |
| Netherlands | Clogs |
| Poland | Jewellery |
| Portugal | Corks |
| Spain | Olive Oil |
| Thailand | Wooden Carvings |
| Turkey | Turkish Delight |
| United Kingdom | Tea |
| United States | USA Flag |
| Vietnam | Coffee |
Jewellery was the most popular souvenir in the list, being the most popular gift from France, Greece, Malaysia and Poland. France is widely known for its designer jewellery, with popular French jewellery brands such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels known worldwide. The French luxury jewellery market is now worth over $3 billion, according to Statista.
Tea was the most popular souvenir in three countries; China, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. It is estimated that over 5 billion cups of tea are consumed every single day, according to research by the International Tea Committee.
For those visiting Austria, chocolate is the most popular souvenir to bring someone from the country. After Switzerland, Austria is the country that eats the most chocolate in the world, with the average Austrian consuming 8.10kg of chocolate every year (Statista).
In Canada, the most popular souvenir is Maple Syrup. Quebec, Canada, produces 70 percent of the world’s maple syrup, which is often eaten with pancakes, waffles, French toast or Oatmeal.
In Germany, the most popular souvenir is a beer stein. Beer steins come in different variations and designs and are often used for decoration. They are also associated with Oktoberfest, an annual beer festival held in Bavaria and now celebrated around the world.
Wine was the most popular souvenir from Italy, which is also the largest exporter of wine in the world. Italian wine is highly regarded largely due to the climate in the country and there are now approximately 383,000 vineyards in Italy.
Chopsticks were the most common souvenir to buy in Japan. Often used when eating Japanese cuisine, gifting someone chopsticks is a way to pray for good health, wealth, and well-being in the family in Japan, according to tradition.
In Mexico, the most popular souvenir to buy is tequila. Mexico now produces over 650 million litres of tequila every year (Statista), and is made from the blue agave plant which is found in the country.
The most popular souvenir from the Netherlands are clogs, a type of footwear made traditionally from wood. While cork is the most popular souvenir from Portugal, who produces 60% of cork worldwide.
Olive oil is the most popular souvenir from Spain. Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the world, producing more than half of the world’s olive oil, approximately 850,000 tons a year (Filippo Berio).
Wooden carvings are the most popular souvenir from Thailand, traditionally made from teak wood. Elephants are a popular wooden carving from the country, with over 3,000 wild elephants living in Thailand.
In Turkey, it’s no surprise that the most popular souvenir is Turkish Delight, jelly confectionery made from all natural ingredients. The brightly coloured sweets make for an excellent souvenir when visiting Turkey.
In the USA the most popular souvenir to buy in the country is a USA flag. The Flag Manufacturers Association of America estimated that around 150 million USA flags are sold every year.
Coffee is the most popular souvenir from Vietnam. After Brazil, Vietnam is the largest coffee-producing country in the world.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
