More than a third of travellers use their mobile device more while on holiday, considering it to be most indispensable item they carry with them. A global online study of almost 10,000 people commissioned by Expedia and business travel arm Egencia examined the mobile device-related behaviour and preferences of travellers.
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Mobiles ‘indispensable’ on holiday, claims Expedia/Egencia study
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More than a third of travellers use their mobile device more while on holiday, considering it to be most indispensable item they carry with them.
A global online study of almost 10,000 people commissioned by Expedia and business travel arm Egencia examined the mobile device-related behaviour and preferences of travellers.
The Expedia/Egencia Mobile Index found that 35% of travellers use their mobile device more on holiday than at home, with many feeling the need to stay connected to work.
In total 84% of travellers worldwide want to be able to access information from anywhere while away.
A total of 23% have bought inflight Wi-Fi on a leisure trip in order to connect to work and 53% of travellers check work emails at least once a day while away.
While business travellers use mobile devices to remain tightly connected to their home office, devices are often used by leisure travellers for navigation, photo-taking and staying connected to through social media.
The three countries that place the highest premium on mobile devices as travel companions are China (where 96% of respondents consider their smartphone an important travel companion), Thailand and Taiwan.
Sixty per cent of travellers globally say they would be unwilling to go on holiday without a mobile device.
The research revealed that 63% sleep with the device beside their bed while on holiday and 28% carry a rechargeable pack or spare battery.
Playing music, games or videos without headphones is considered to be the most offensive mobile behavior, cited by 58% of travellers, an increase of more than 10% from 2014.
Making or taking calls while on speakerphone infuriates 57% of people, up from 53% in 2014, while taking photos or videos of strangers is offensive to 48% of people, up from 42% in 2014.
However, the UK is one of the countries least bothered by poor mobile etiquette in public areas.
When asked about perceived offensive behaviour, 16% of British people answered that ‘none of the above’ would affect them – the only country that scored higher (18%) was Australia.
Aman Bhutani, president for Brand Expedia Group, said: “We have found that travellers are using mobile devices at every stage of the travel process, from researching and booking trips to capturing and sharing the travel experience.
“And just because a traveller can use their device to read work email and stay connected to the office, they also believe it improves the quality of their vacations.
“Consumers tell us what they do and don’t like in their mobile offerings and habits, and we’ve been listening and steadily adapting to provide what the mobile-savvy travellers demand.”
Rob Greyber, president of Egencia, added: “Mobile devices may be a requirement for business trips, however, business travel and connectivity is changing.
“Various devices allow for a seamless experience with apps that enable users to be more productive and efficient, which travellers are utilizing in order to prioritize work-life balance and disconnect when possible.”
