Travelling overseas can be very exciting for all involved. You may be travelling on your own for business or travelling in a group with family or friends for leisure, exploring countries and destination hot spots that have been on your list for many years. During your ventures you’ll pick up many souvenirs for yourself and friends back home to remind you of your exciting trip or holiday. If you have troubles contemplating on what souvenirs to pick up, here are 5 of the most common gift ideas that would be perfect to symbolise a memory for your favoured destination.

Many tourists like to pick up a themed crystal ball when travelling through Europe or many countries based in the northern hemisphere. The reason for this is due to the fact that the seasonal based countries are often visited during winter, throughout the snowfall and ski seasons. Especially for southern tourists, crystal balls are popular as once turned upside down, it ruptures a snowfall within the memento. This allows people to somewhat relive their memory.

Destination branded clothing is yet another popular souvenir for tourists. Most cities will have souvenir outlets for visitors to explore an array of t-shirt and clothing options. There are numerous genres to choose from including comedic and natural designs. Comedic generally tends to be a favourite as general country slang and humour will be incorporated onto your favourite attire. Many others include basic clothing with country flags, colours and identifiable country characteristics.

Several years ago postcards were the most common source of communication to friends and family at home and a preferable souvenir for many travellers. Today, with common technology on social media networks, mobile phones and email, postcards have become obsolete. However, for the older generation, postcards are still a favourite as they send them back home informing family of their travels or they collect them per region, city or country visited to simply look back on to provide memories.

Very popular for the youngsters back at home, national wildlife and animals are often incorporated into stuffed toys from that specific nation. For example, foreigners visiting Australia may purchase a koala or kangaroo and visitors to New Zealand will buy a Kiwi. This symbolises the typical wildlife owned and respected by that nation, hence why they are common souvenirs. They are also favourable for adults as they may just sit them on their mantelpiece as a solid reminder.

If you are looking to avoid typical souvenir ideas, whether you are shopping for yourself or someone back home, a unique idea that some souvenir shops provide are destination themed business cards. These will implement common destination themes or icons that will surely provide vivid memories as you’ll see it when you open your wallet and have a flashback of your holiday. Your business card designs [http://www.vistaprint.co.nz/free-business-cards.aspx]  may inherit the country logo, flag or most identifiable icon.

Whether you are looking for common or distinctive souvenir or gift ideas for yourself or somebody else, these will help get you started. You’ll surely notice something else that may be more suitable once in a souvenir outlet and sure to be surprised by some of the neat possibilities available.

--------
Written by Mick Cutcliffe

Mick has a strong passion in DIY art and craft. Mick sells his own t shirt printing in market stalls in the weekend.