First 24 hours of a holiday ‘make or break’, Booking.com research shows

Nearly half of travellers say the first 24 hours sets the tone of a holiday and one in three say the period can be make or break for the trip, according to data from Booking.com. The hotel booking giant’s global … Continue reading →

Nearly half of travellers say the first 24 hours sets the tone of a holiday and one in three say the period can be make or break for the trip, according to data from Booking.com.

The hotel booking giant’s global research also showed that modern travellers have “new” priorities when they arrive on holiday, with 54% saying taking the perfect picture is crucial, getting online to check emails was important to 56% and 40% said not connecting to WiFi is a major worry.

More traditional tasks were also key, with 63% of people wanting to unpack bags when they arrive, 60% were keen to explore the accommodation and 53% said they’d focus on the next day’s activities.

Almost one third of holidaymakers asked said they worry about things going wrong in the first 24 hours, with 39% saying they were worried about losing luggage, 35% were concerned at not being able to find a nice place to eat and 34% fretted about falling ill. As many as 40% were worried about not being able to access WiFi.

And a strong WiFi signal was important to 32% of people, less than a comfortable mattress (44%), an amazing view (39%), a hearty breakfast (35%) and a spacious room (33%).

Pepijn Rijvers, chief marketing officer at Booking.com said: “Holidays are times when we can go to new places, try new experiences and take a break from the routine of everyday life. Expectations often run high and with so much to see and do, a lot rides on those first 24 hours.”