It Travelers Use Social Media to Brag: It might come as a surprise to find that 19 percent of those polled in the recent survey conducted by Hotels.com for its Mobile Travel Tracker said that they would rather travel with their smartphones than their partners. (The surprise is that the number is smaller than industry insiders would likely estimate.) The finding comes from a survey that contacted 9,000 respondents across 30 country markets, with “travel bragging” constituting a major reason that travelers post something while on vacation.
Some of the interesting findings that came out of the survey include the following:
—15 per cent of men travelers admitted to using dating apps out of town.
—Holidaymakers are invested in “travel bragging,” which has seen many eager to trade travel brags for “likes.”
—The average traveler spends 62 minutes a day on social media while on holiday.
—When bragging about where they are and what they are doing, 70 percent of travelers use Facebook and 49 percent use Instagram.
—When it comes to what travelers are bragging about on their trips, 57 percent said they posted items about food and 56 percent put up photos of landmarks.
—Travelers get more anxious when their phone runs out of battery (17 per cent) or when they lose Wi-Fi (eight per cent) than if they argue with their partner on a trip (five per cent).
—Sometimes referred to as a generation of “filter-loving, hot-headed and often love-drunk youths,” 45 per cent of 18-to-29-year-olds surveyed admit they are not afraid to upload a picture with their loved ones on holiday.
—A gender difference: Women are more likely (42 percent) to flaunt having a partner online, while men prefer posting images of a “serene, drama-free cityscape” (38 per cent).
As an example of the country markets surveyed, we were able to find the information on India:
—Indian Millennials are into travel bragging on social media to invite admiration and build fame among their friends and followers.
—In a figure that is much larger than the global sample, more than 40 per cent of respondents from India admitted that they spend over four hours a day bragging on their mobiles while traveling.
—When it comes to what social media savvy Indian travelers were bragging about on their trips, 64 per cent said it was a photo of food. (Travel braggers show off their “foodporn” to those stuck at home with their roti and sabzi, posting gourmet dishes from across the globe.)
—Some 85 per cent of 18-29 year olds from India said that they would rather upload a selfie than cityscape photos (51 per cent) while on holiday.
Thirty-one per cent Indians admitted that they would rather travel with their smartphone than their partner.
—More than seven out of ten (71 percent) Indian travelers felt easy access of smartphones is contributing to rise in leisure trips and hotel stays.
—58 per cent of Indian travelers said that they wouldn’t enjoy their holiday without their smartphone in hand.
—For Indians, getting the perfect picture plays an even bigger role with 26 per cent of Indian participants confessing they would pose anywhere for that flawless selfie, often putting selfies ahead of safety.
