Holiday Lost and Found: Jewellery Tops the List of Most Misplaced Valuables
It’s the moment every traveller dreads. You reach into your bag, pat your pockets, rifle through your suitcase and realise something’s gone missing. According to new research, nearly half of holidaymakers have lost a treasured possession while abroad, with jewellery emerging as the most commonly misplaced valuable.
The survey, conducted by VIP SKI, reveals that 16% of travellers who have lost something on holiday said it was jewellery (one in 10). Whether it slipped off in the pool or vanished somewhere between airport security and the hotel room, jewellery beat out even tech gadgets for the dubious honour of most frequently lost high-value item.
Top 10 most commonly lost holiday items:
1. Sunglasses
2. Cap/hat
3. Clothing
4. Jewellery
5. Hotel room key
6. Charger
7. Wallet/purse/money
8. Headphones
9. Camera
10. Phone
Tech doesn’t escape unscathed, though. Cameras were lost by 9% of respondents, and 5% said they’d managed to misplace their phone. Wallets and purses were also among the most mourned, disappearing from 14% of travellers’ possession lists.
Important items such as passports (4%), medication (3%) and house or car keys (2%) were also on the list, while 15% said they’ve mislaid their hotel room keys (15%).
Beyond the bank-breaking losses, smaller (yet equally frustrating) items were frequently forgotten or dropped. Sunglasses led the way, with more than a third (36%) of those who’d lost something confessing to leaving a pair behind. Hats (25%), clothing (23%) and chargers (15%) also proved hard to hang onto.
Surprisingly, the type of holiday seems to affect just how likely you are to misplace something. Spa breaks and ski trips led the charge, with 74% and 71% of respondents, respectively, saying they’d lost belongings on these holidays. Perhaps it’s the laid-back mindset of a wellness retreat, or the endless gear swaps on a ski slope that causes the confusion.
“We were especially surprised to see winter sports holidays come out so high,” said Andy Sturt, MD for VIP SKI. “It might be the goggles abandoned at lunch or gloves left in a cable car, but it seems that the more gear you have, the more there is to lose. In the meantime, perhaps keep earrings out of the pool.”
Interestingly, only 3% of respondents said they had ever lost ski equipment itself which is a reassuring stat for anyone nervous about bringing their own skis on holiday. Still, for peace of mind, VIP SKI suggests hiring gear from the resort to avoid the worry altogether.
Younger travellers were far more prone to losses. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of those aged 18 to 24 had misplaced something, compared to just 42% of those aged 55 and over.
If you do lose something crucial, like a passport, the advice is not to panic. Contacting the embassy can start the process of obtaining emergency travel documents, and at VIP SKI, help is always on hand. Read more on the VIP SKI blog here
A seven-night stay at No 1 Club Bellevarde in Val d’Isere, arriving 30 November 2025, is priced at 1,060 pp, based on twin occupancy. Prices include daily continental or cooked breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner on six days, twice weekly canapes and return transfers from Geneva Airport. This also includes a FREE six-day Espace Killy lift pass. VIP SKI (0203 892 4060, www.vip-chalets.com)
More information about the most frequently lost holiday items and how to protect your belongings while skiing can be found at www.vip-chalets.com.
