LONDON, August 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Global Hotels.com survey reveals Asian nations are most tied to mobiles
Thailand travellers have been named as the nation least prepared to give up their mobile devices when going on holiday, according to a new global survey from Hotels.com. For a huge 85% of them, the thought of going on holiday without their beloved gadgets would bring them out in a cold sweat.
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The study, which looks into digital holiday habits across 28 different countries worldwide, explores which nations find it most difficult to achieve that ever-important work/life balance and switch off when holidaying. Closely behind Thailand was Korea in second place with 78% of the nation finding it difficult to be without their device, and Japan in third place with 69%.
Comparatively, the UK came in joint 15th place with Germany, with 36% of respondents being reluctant to fob off their phone while on holiday.
When it comes to Brits, the study revealed that one in three (33%) regret spending too much time on their mobile device once they've returned to home soil. No wonder then, as one in two (46%) admit to checking work e-mails while away and eight in 10 (83%) concede that they try to use their holiday to forget about work. But being unable to disconnect isn't just about being connected to work, as having access to social media, wherever they are, is very important to four in 10 (36%) Brits.
Countries least willing to ditch their devices while on holiday
RANK COUNTRY % VOTES RANK COUNTRY % VOTES
1 THAILAND 85% =15 GERMANY 36%
2 KOREA 78% =15 UK 36%
3 JAPAN 69% 17 US 35%
4 CHINA 67% 18 COLOMBIA 33%
5 SINGAPORE 60% 19 NEW ZEALAND 30%
=6 TAIWAN 53% =20 DENMARK 29%
=6 NORWAY 53% =20 AUSTRALIA 29%
8 BRAZIL 52% =20 NETHERLANDS 29%
9 IRELAND 51% 23 MEXICO 28%
10 FINLAND 50% 24 CANADA 27%
11 HONG KONG 46% =25 SWEDEN 23%
=12 FRANCE 40% =25 SPAIN 23%
=12 RUSSIA 40% 27 ARGENTINA 22%
14 ITALY 39% 28 INDIA 20%
The Hotels.com study also revealed the UK's top ten most important travel items. While the mobile phone still came in relatively high in fifth position, it was trumped by the ever-important passport, which came in first place, proving that for Brits foreign fancies still trump domestic dalliances when it comes to holidaying. While sunscreen and travel insurance came in second and third place respectively, the gym kit came in last at 10, illustrating a lackadaisical attitude to exercise from Brits, when on holiday.
Top ten most important travel items for Brits:
RANK TRAVEL ITEM
1 Passport
2 Sunscreen
3 Travel insurance
4 Sunglasses
5 Smartphone
6 Deodorant
7 Swimwear
8 Razor
9 Travel guide
10 Gym Kit
When it comes to which countries are most likely to exaggerate their holiday experiences, China came top of the pile with 67% of respondents likely to lie to friends and family when returning home. Close behind in second place came Germany with 64%, and Korea in third place with just under half (48%) admitting they would embellish a story to impress others. The UK came in 13th place with just under a third (31%) of Brits admitting to fibbing about their adventures.
Countries most likely to exaggerate their holiday experience
RANK COUNTRY % VOTES RANK COUNTRY % VOTES
1 CHINA 67% =15 FINLAND 29%
2 GERMANY 64% =15 COLOMBIA 29%
3 KOREA 48% 17 NORWAY 28%
4 SPAIN 47% 18 FRANCE 25%
5 THAILAND 46% =19 US 24%
6 TAIWAN 44% =19 ITALY 24%
7 INDIA 40% =21 NEW ZEALAND 20%
8 RUSSIA 37% =21 CANADA 20%
=9 NETHERLANDS 36% =23 AUSTRALIA 19%
=9 JAPAN 36% =23 DENMARK 19%
11 SINGAPORE 35% 25 SWEDEN 14%
12 IRELAND 34% 26 ARGENTINA 12%
13 UK 31% 27 HONG KONG 9%
14 BRAZIL 30% 28 MEXICO 8%
Alison Couper of the Hotels.com brand said, "Going away on holiday should be a time to take stock and unwind, whether you're lying on a beach in the Seychelles or snowboarding down a mountain in Canada. While smartphones have their plus points while on leave from work, using them to check the weather or view maps, it seems travellers would benefit from switching off their e-mails to disconnect, restoring a little more of the all important work/life balance."
*2,495 respondents surveyed in July 2014 across 28 countries.
About Hotels.com
Hotels.com is a leading accommodation booking website operated by Hotesl.com LP. with more than 325,000 properties globally. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry, and offers frequent sales, special deals and promotions. There are more than 11 million reviews on the site from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers can make an informed choice when booking.
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