Top Souvenirs From Around The World

The Top Souvenir From Every Country In The World

A good holiday can last much longer than just the time we’re there. The memories it creates can stay with us forever, which is why so many of us choose to remember our time away through postcards, photographs and souvenirs.

We all know someone with a fridge full of magnets from far away destinations and novelty mugs in the cupboard from places once visited.

And so, we’ve discovered the most popular (and in some cases peculiar) souvenirs from around the world.

With its famously unpredictable weather, it’s no surprise that the UK’s most popular souvenir is an umbrella! Although a household staple for many who live in the country, tourists coming to experience the wet weather for themselves find the item a unique souvenir encompassing the UK in one.

For those visiting the US on vacation, their unique style of American sweets is the souvenir of choice to bring home to friends and family. Planning a trip to Australia? You’ll find the most popular souvenir is a boomerang, a globally recognised symbol of Oz that is used by Aboriginal Australian peoples for hunting.

1 - Top souvenirs from each country

Africa

Patterned textiles prove a global favourite
Our research found that textiles are among the most sought after choice of souvenirs for those visiting African countries. In Nigeria, Aso Oke, a vibrant, traditional fabric worn by Yoruba people is a popular item to take home. Fabric is also the top souvenir for Zimbabwe and Cameroon, whilst hand woven rugs are a top choice of keepsake for those taking a trip to Malawi.

Carefully crafted, handmade wooden artifacts, beads and masks are also very popular souvenirs throughout the continent, including The Democratic Republic of The Congo, The Gambia and Angola.

America

Chocolate, coffee and rum among the most popular souvenirs
For holidaymakers who like to take their taste buds on a trip, traditional cuisine souvenirs are in high demand. Countries in North America such as the US and Canada’s most famous souvenirs are those that taste as good as they look. In the US tourists love to stock up on classic American chocolate while those visiting Canada love to leave with home-grown maple syrup in their carry ons.

Countries including Ireland, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Grenada and Belgium all have chocolate as the top takeaway souvenir, whilst coffee is the most popular for countries close to the equator such as Guatemala, Ecuador and Indonesia. Blue Mountain Coffee, a luxurious blend, is exclusively available to those travelling to Jamaica, with coffee lovers opting to take home the premium, mountain-grown mix over any other souvenir from the Caribbean country.

Lovers of rum should head to Mauritius, Dominica, Barbados, Nicaragua and Venezuela. With it being their top souvenir export, these countries all know a thing or two about the tasty tipple. Each has their own unique flavours and provide the perfect gift to bring home to friends and family.

Oceania

Exotic islands offer low price pieces of paradise
What better keepsake to take home than a piece of paradise itself? Seashells are highly popular as they’re cheap, easy to fit in luggage and lovely to look at. We discovered that The Bahamas, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis all have seashells and items made of shells as their top souvenir.

So, why not seas the day and collect your own shell souvenir with a trip to the Seychelles? The lush paradise boasts a number of beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, making it the perfect 2021 travel destination to immerse yourself in the beauty of the natural world.

Asia

Unique treasures make memorable mementos
While some souvenirs will let you bring home another country’s unique cuisine, others are entwined with that country’s distinctive culture.

A perfect example is North Korea. The East Asian country that is notoriously difficult to visit as you’ll usually have to be part of a government-approved organised tour. However, those who have visited have reported rather strange souvenirs… propaganda. From postcards to posters, souvenir shops across the country stock government-produced propaganda designed to further idolise their ruler Kim Jong-un and his controversial policies.

Strange souvenirs from around the world don’t always promote the nation’s leader, but also their beer. Tourists who visit Laos in Southeast Asia are most likely to come home with a t-shirt advertising the country’s most popular drink, Beer Lao.

Europe

Pop culture influences
Surprisingly, Denmark’s top souvenir is Lego. Whilst the plastic bricks may seem an unusual choice, they were invented by a Danish carpenter back in the 1930s and are reported as being much cheaper in its country of origin. New Zealand’s most popular souvenir is also a nod to pop culture, with The One Ring (the object of desire throughout the Lord of The Rings trilogy) being the top choice for tourists, as the entire trilogy was filmed there.