A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a memento of a visit. The object itself may have intrinsic value, or be a symbol of experience. Without the owner's input, the symbolic meaning is lost and cannot be articulated.

As objects

The tourism industry designates tourism souvenirs as commemorative merchandise associated with a location, often including geographic information and usually produced in a manner that promotes souvenir collecting. Throughout the world, the souvenir trade is an important part of the tourism industry serving a dual role, first to help improve the local economy, and second to allow visitors to take with them a memento of their visit, ultimately to encourage an opportunity for a return visit, or to promote the locale to other tourists as a form of word-of-mouth marketing. Promotional tchotchke at trade shows serve a similar function. Perhaps the most collected souvenirs by tourists are self-generated: photographs as a medium to document specific events and places for remembrance. Souvenirs as objects include mass-produced merchandise such as clothing: T-shirts and hats;

collectable A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any Physical object, object regarded as being of value or interest to a collecting, collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types ...

s: postcards, refrigerator magnets, key chains, pins, souvenir coins and

token Token may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Token, a game piece or counter, used in some games * The Tokens, a vocal music group * Tolkien Black, a recurring character on the animated television series ''South Park,'' formerly known as ...

s, miniature bells, models, figurines,

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

s; household items: spoons, mugs,

bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gre ...

, plates, ashtrays, egg timers, fudge,

notepads A notebook (also known as a notepad, writing pad, drawing pad, or legal pad) is a book or stack of paper pages that are often ruled and used for purposes such as note-taking, journaling or other writing, drawing, or scrapbooking. History ...

, coasters, and many others. Souvenirs also include non-mass-produced items like folk art, local artisan handicrafts, objects that represent the traditions and culture of the area, non-commercial, natural objects like sand from a beach, and anything else that a person attaches nostalgic value to and collects among his personal belongings. A more grisly form of souvenir (here as an example of war booty) in the First World War was displayed by a Pathan soldier to an English

Territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

. After carefully studying the

Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

's acquisitions (a fragment of shell, a spike and badge from a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

helmet), he produced a cord with the ears of enemy soldiers he claimed to have killed. He was keeping them to take back to India for his wife.

As memorabilia

Similar to souvenirs, memorabilia ( Latin for ''memorable (things)'', plural of ''memorābile'') are objects treasured for their memories or historical interest; however, unlike souvenirs, memorabilia can be valued for a connection to an event or a particular professional field, company or brand. Examples include sporting events, historical events, culture, and entertainment. Such items include: clothing; game equipment; publicity photographs and

poster A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both typography, textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or w ...

s; magic memorabilia; other entertainment-related merchandise & memorabilia;

movie memorabilia Film memorabilia are objects considered of value because of their connection to the cinema. These include costumes, props, advertising posters, and scripts, among other things. Fans have always coveted memorabilia, but in recent years, what was on ...

; airline and other transportation-related memorabilia; and pins, among others. Often memorabilia items are kept in protective covers or display cases to safeguard and preserve their condition.

As gifts

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, souvenirs are known as , and are frequently selected from , or products associated with a particular region. Bringing back from trips to co-workers and families is a social obligation, and can be considered a form of apology for the traveller's absence. sales are big business at Japanese tourist sites. Unlike souvenirs, however, are frequently special food products, packaged into several small portions to be easily distributed to all the members of a family or a workplace. Travelers may buy souvenirs as

gift A gift or a present is an item given to someone without the expectation of payment or anything in return. An item is not a gift if that item is already owned by the one to whom it is given. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation ...

s for those who did not make the trip. In the Philippines a similar tradition of bringing souvenirs as a gift to family members, friends, and coworkers is called .

Gallery

Cultural Fashion and Adornment, El Moez St., 00 (26).JPG, Pyramid and Great Sphinx souvenirs from Egypt Souvenirs.jpg, Examples of souvenirs: figurines, models, snow globe Colección de imanes de frigorífico (RPS 28-06-2015).png,

Fridge magnet A refrigerator magnet or fridge magnet is a small magnet, often attached to an artistic or whimsical ornament, which may be used to post items such as shopping lists, Christmas cards, child art or reminders on a refrigerator door, or which sim ...

s SouvenirsChichenItza002.JPG, Hand-carved wood souvenirs ( Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico) RomSouvenirs.jpg, Souvenir statues ( Rome, Italy) Souvenirs-Athen.jpg, Souvenir statues ( Greece) Matryoshka dolls put up for sale.jpg,

Matryoshka Matryoshka dolls ( ; rus, матрёшка, p=mɐˈtrʲɵʂkə, a=Ru-матрёшка.ogg), also known as stacking dolls, nesting dolls, Russian tea dolls, or Russian dolls, are a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside ano ...

s ( Russia) Souvenir Shop - panoramio.jpg, A souvenir shop along

Aleksanterinkatu Aleksanterinkatu ( sv, Alexandersgatan; "Alexander Street") is a street in Kluuvi, the commercial centre of Helsinki, Finland. In the city plan by Carl Ludvig Engel, it was the ''Decumanus Maximus'', the main east–west street in the city, cross ...

( Helsinki, Finland) Souvenirs de Paris, Quai aux Fleurs (Paris) 2010-07-29.jpg, A souvenir shop ( Paris, France) Flickr - schmuela - IMG 6595.jpg, A souvenir shop ( Egypt) Сувенирный киоск на набережной Евпатории.jpg, A souvenir kiosk ( Eupatoria, Crimea, Ukraine) Souvenir.london.arp.750pix.jpg, A souvenir stall ( London, England, UK) Souvenir Seller Namibia.jpg, A souvenir stall ( Namibia) SouvenirsPalenque04.JPG, A street trade of souvenirs ( Palenque, Mexico)

References

External links