A survey reveals that nine out of ten travellers use mobile devices while on holiday to access social media and to stay connected
Despite the popular belief that holidays are supposed to be a time to unplug, nearly nine out of ten travellers globally (87 per cent) and in Asia (88 per cent) admit to being attached to mobile technology while they are on holiday.
These findings emerged from the TripAdvisor TripBarometer Mobile and Social survey. The desire to stay connected with family and friends at home and the fear of missing out are the principal reasons driving this growing attachment to mobile connection and social media usage while on holiday.
The survey reveals that travellers are also using social media to shout about their holiday joy, with nearly one in five global travellers showing off to others via social media updates. In all, 8 per cent of travellers admit to using social media while on holiday to “make friends jealous”.
Staying Connected
Globally, 18 to 24-year-olds are the most avid users of mobile devices while travelling (94 per cent) and women (88 per cent) are slightly more attached to their mobile devices while on holiday than men (85 per cent).
While calling and texting remain the key reasons for travellers to use their smartphones while travelling, a significant portion is using mobile technology to access social media and to look for recommendations on the go.
The data also highlights travellers’ preference for smartphones over tablets.
Planning with Social Media
A quarter of global travellers relied on social media to plan their last trip, to get recommendations, see pictures and videos of where they’re going, find inspiration for what to do and see while they’re there and to look for deals.
More Asians turned to social media to plan for their last trip than the average global traveller.
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