Hotels.com's Christmas Shopping Basket Uncovers Cheapest Destinations for Christmas Shopping

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, November 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Hotels.com has taken its Christmas shopping basket around the globe to find which destinations offer the best-value-for-money Christmas gifts!

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120628/540164 )

Hotels.com's Christmas Shopping Basket looks at the price of 13 of the most popular, and world-wide available, presents across 29 countries, to produce a Christmas Global Gift Guide Index, with gifts ranging from iPads to Barbie's Dreamhouse.

Taiwan is top of the pops for bargain hunters this Christmas, on average, returning a combined shopping basket of $1,781.70, followed by Japan ($2,505.91) and Argentina ($2,515.56) in second and third place.

Justifying a shop till you drop holiday, New Zealand ranked 20^th on the Index, returning a price tag of $3,836.85, a huge $2055 more than Taiwan's total!

At the other end of the spectrum, Brazil was the country with the most expensive shopping basket at $5,797.76, $2,243.73 more than the global average of $3,554.03.

The Hotels.com Christmas Shopping Basket consists of:

• iPad Air
• iPad with retina display
• Ladies real leather gloves
• Jean Paul Gaultier 'Le Male' Eau de Toilette 75ml
• Calvin Klein socks
• iPhone 5S
• Chloe by Chloe Perfume 75ml
• Spiderman lunch box
• Susan Boyle Home for Christmas album
• Barbie Dreamhouse
• How I Met Your Mother season 7
• Levis 501s (men's straight leg jeans)
• Harry Potter box set (all books)

Katherine Cole, Regional Marketing Director, Hotels.com, Australia and New Zealand said, "Combing Christmas shopping and a trip overseas provides the perfect opportunity to squeeze in a break and escape the stress that can sometimes come with the festive season. Our shopping basket is a great guide for people wanting to indulge in shopping and travel at the one time."  

The total costs per country for the entirety of the Hotels.com Christmas shopping basket:

                            Average price of
    Rank    Country         basket (NZ)
          1 Taiwan                    $1,781.70
          2 Japan                     $2,505.91
          3 Argentina                 $2,515.56
          4 Korea                     $2,537.64
          5 Thailand                  $2,600.80
          6 Switzerland               $2,739.10
          7 Hong Kong                 $3,094.62
          8 Canada                    $3,201.66
          9 India                     $3,285.66
         10 Singapore                 $3,331.23
         11 Russia                    $3,336.27
         12 Sweden                    $3,368.96
         13 USA                       $3,405.52
         14 Australia                 $3,520.98
         15 Colombia                  $3,543.54
         16 The Netherlands           $3,691.83
         17 China                     $3,716.60
         18 France                    $3,796.46
         19 Ireland                   $3,812.57
         20 New Zealand               $3,836.85
         21 Spain                     $3,912.11
         22 UK                        $3,921.19
         23 Germany                   $3,948.91
         24 Mexico                    $3,990.81
         25 Denmark                   $4,209.96
         26 Italy                     $4,416.56
         27 Finland                   $4,574.37
         28 Norway                    $4,671.80
         29 Brazil                    $5,797.76

Notes to Editor

* Gift prices calculated as the average cost from three local retailers in each country, then converted to NZD - apart from items with one global figure (iPad and iPad with retina display).  Exchange rates correct as of 11/11/13 at 13.00 via http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

• 1 USD = 1.215 NZD

About Hotels.com

Hotels.com is a leading online accommodation booking website with almost 240,000 properties worldwide, ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favourites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry, negotiating the best rates for its customers, and offers frequent sales, special deals and promotions. Regular customer e-newsletters provide exclusive offers and advance warning of up-coming sales. There are over 7 million guest reviews on the site from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers can make an informed choice when booking. Through its industry-leading loyalty program Welcome Rewards, customers can earn a free night for every 10 nights stayed at more than 90,000 hotels. Under its Price Match Guarantee, if a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will refund the difference. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded at http://www.hotels.com/deals/mobile_NZ/ enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals. For the last eight years, Hotels.com has published an award-winning twice-yearly review of international hotel room price trends called the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index which is now produced in 31 individual country editions. Follow Hotels.com on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Hotels.comNZ, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/hotels_com_ANZ and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/HotelsNZ. Hotels.com is part of Expedia Inc., the largest online travel company in the world with an extensive portfolio that includes some of the world's best-known brands.

Hotels.com and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP, in the U.S. and/or other countries.   Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.  © 2002-2012 Hotels.com, LP.  

Issued on behalf of Hotels.com by Sefiani Communications Group

SOURCE Hotels.com