Britain ‘lose’ £400 Million in vouchers every year
Hotel Group launches ‘New for Old’ to highlight value of lost gifts
· One in seven buy vouchers as gifts
· Two in five never get to spend them
· Londoners waste most vouchers
Briton is literally sitting on lost millions as research by Best Western Hotels today reveals the total sum of lost, expired or discarded gift vouchers in Great Britain as almost £400 million* every year - with southern men being the worst offenders!
The research, conducted by Best Western Hotels, found that 43 per cent of Brits have discarded gift vouchers, left them lying unspent around the house, or allowed them to expire - although almost half of those surveyed admitted that they were pleased to receive such a gift.
In response, Best Western Hotels has today launched a nationwide ‘old for new’ voucher exchange to give people from across Great Britain the chance to recoup some of the millions by sending in any expired vouchers.
The survey, conducted by YouGov, also showed that 70 per cent of participants had turned to vouchers as a last resort when stumped for gift ideas for loved ones, with women most likely to choose this seemingly ‘easy’ option.
The gender divide is alive and well too when it comes to wasting vouchers. According to the findings, almost half of all men (48 per cent) have not spent their vouchers, but this figure dropped to only 40 per cent of women showing that the female of the species really do love to spend the most.
There are strong regional differences too with Londoners less likely to spend their vouchers than those from the rest of Great Britain, with almost half confessing that they’ve left them lying around the house or they’ve expired.
In contrast, stereotypes of thrifty northerners might have some basis in truth, as only 40 per cent, had not got around to spending theirs and 60 per cent (the highest for any region) had already splashed out.
The first 200 expired vouchers sent in to Best Western’s postal address (Consort House, Amy Johnson Way, York, YO30 4GP) will receive a £5 pre-loaded Best Western Travel CardTM, which has no ‘use by’ date.
The voucher can be used to pay for anything from accommodation to food and of course those little extras from spa treatments to a round of golf at over 4,200 Best Western Hotels Internationally.
Mikhaila Brentnall, PR Manager, Best Western Hotels GB, said: “In launching our national ‘new for old’ voucher exchange today we want to highlight the lost money lying around British homes from expiring vouchers.”
“Instead of throwing them away why not dig out any expired vouchers from behind the sofa, dust them down and post them to us to grab yourself a free gift voucher to spend in any of our hotels.”
“The Best Western Travel CardTM is pre-loaded and can be used all over the world, meaning that the voucher you give can be used to easily pay for anything from a cup of tea to a break abroad. What’s more, if you’re not sure what to spend it on, you’ve got plenty of time to choose, as they never expire.”
Best Western Hotels GB will also recycle any vouchers it receives to ensure environmental impact is minimised.
For more information about Best Western Hotels GB and the Best Western Travel CardTM, visit www.bestwestern.co.uk
ENDS –
*Calculated from £15 being the average value of vouchers bought
Notes to Editors:
Research was carried out for Best Western Hotels GB by YouGov, who surveyed 2,134 people across the UK from 20th to 21st August, 2007.
· Best Western is the largest group of independently owned and managed hotels in Great Britain. As part of the consortium, member hotels are able to maintain their own charm and personality whilst benefiting from marketing activity only available by joining with like-minded independent hoteliers. Aimed at people planning an action packed or relaxing weekend or even a combination of both, Best Western offers a wide variety of outdoor activities and spa treatments packaged with quality hotel accommodation
· The Best Western Travel CardTM can be used towards room charges, restaurant bills and other incidentals like drinks and phone charges at any Best Western hotel around Great Britain. It can be topped up at any time and it is also fully transferable for use by a friend, family member or business colleague.
Further information
Mikhaila Brentnall, PR Manager, Best Western Hotels GB Mikhaila.brentnall@bestwestern.co.uk on 01904 695426.