Purchase the usual tourist items. Post cards, shot glasses and T-shirts can seem like cheap things to buy but people enjoy seeing where you’ve been or having a trinket from a place they might not have ever been or plan to visit. With prices of tourist items being inexpensive, you can buy more items and give more gifts.
Find items that are specific to where you are. If you’re going to Mexico, for instance, take advantage of the silver there. Find out what type of item that the country you are visiting is known for and plan your gifts around that particular type of goods.
Purchase knockoffs, readily available across much of Asia. If you have a family member that won’t mind if the designer label isn’t real, purchase a nice watch a handbag for them at a fraction of the cost. It's perfectly legal to bring these into the United States for personal use or as gifts; you just can’t sell them.
Find handmade items. Most countries will have markets that offer handmade goods such as quilts, blankets, shoes and woodcarvings. Give your family member or friend back home an item that is handmade. Not only are you helping the economic status of the seller, you’re giving a gift that is one of a kind.
Bring a gift home that is a piece of where you visited. If you’re visiting a foreign beach, many shops will sell shells or items that are from that beach only. Be sure to purchase these items and not take anything from an area without permission.
Bring home a taste of the country. Some cruise ships and planes have rules against bringing back food items but you can have them shipped to your home. Chocolates, rum cake and marzipan are just a few of the food items that you can give as gifts that will be unique and fun.
