This year, give travellers the gift of no waiting in returns queues.

By the ripe old age of seven, I had 21 bathing suits. Why? Because we had a pool and apparently that meant I couldn’t possibly own swimwear. I now own six passport covers and more luggage tags than luggage to tag. Because that’s what people think I need.

Travellers invariably have what they need or get given it by someone else. So to come out on top and be declared this year’s Coolest Gift Giver check out e-Travel Blackboard’s shopping tips and give the gift of no waiting in returns queues.

On Alisa’s list: Gift vouchers
As a soon to be adventurer all I want for Christmas is... a gift voucher. I know it’s a little bland and gives away how much each niece and nephew is worth, but for me the most important gift is choice. Give me travel store vouchers, shopping centre gift cards, or some plastic from Visa or Mastercard. Trust me, I’ll know what to do with them!

On Mark’s list: A language course
This holiday season, I want the gift of the gab... in Japanese. Language courses are great gifts for eternal wanderers. Not only are you giving a gift that will keep on giving, you’ll be giving travellers something to do on those long flights and sometimes longer transits.

On Nahrain’s list: A travel scrapbook
For the crafty (as in artsy not nasty) folk, an actual scrapbook with the affiliated paraphernalia will go down a treat, but for the more tech savvy out there, there are many websites that let you download a program and, voila, a photo-book designed by you arrives in the mail or can be sent on to friends and family. Brag book, much? 

On Nat’s list: A pre-loaded travel sim card
What better time than Christmas to give your loved ones a smaller phone bill. There’s nothing worse than starting the New Year with a bill that reads more like War and Peace, so a pre-loaded travel sim card will alleviate some of the post-travel blues.

On Pete’s list: Noise cancelling headphones
Music gets me through just about any travel disaster and provides the perfect soundtrack to the perfect moment. But I just haven’t invested in noise-cancelling headphones because they seem like something you’d get as a gift. But no one has... yet.

On Gaya’s list: The Scrubba, show tickets, real books... and a swim suit
I’m a laundry-doer. If a hotel has a laundry, I must use it. Perhaps it’s the backpacker in me or the fact that I rarely travel with more than a small carry-on, but laundry has become synonymous with travel so when I read about the Scrubber, I was instantly impressed. Check out the vid below and add it to your list.

Once the laundry situation is redressed, I want nothing more than to head to a local gig, be given some old school books and, ironically, this year I need a bathing suit.