SOCIAL media plays a crucial role in determining where Asian travellers go for a dose of sun and sand – more so than their Western counterparts – according to Expedia’s 2014 Flip Flop Report, which also reveals that users in this region are more active in sharing photos/videos while on vacation.
The report found that 60 per cent of Asian respondents felt social media platforms were ‘very/somewhat influential’ when choosing a beach holiday destination, compared to 39 per cent and 24 per cent for their North American and European counterparts respectively.
Other influencing factors include last-minute packages. Thais (67 per cent), South Korean (65 per cent) and Japanese (64 per cent) were most likely to be influenced by bargain deals.
Vikram Malhi, general manager for Expedia in Asia, commented: “Asian travellers are not just booking their travel on their devices, they are also sharing their travel experiences and researching on mobile more readily than their Western counterparts.”
“Mobile is a huge area of investment for Expedia, and the findings reinforce our aim to offer travellers a complete experience, from pre-booking to post-vacation, across devices.”
Expedia’s Flip Flop Report also documents how the devices are used on beach holidays.
Internationally, Indian travellers posted the most photos/videos while on vacation with 50 snaps per week, followed by Singaporeans with 37 and Americans with 35.
Furthermore, Asian travellers post photos for ‘nefarious’ reasons – to make their friends envious.
Overall respondents said they posted pictures to share their vacation experiences with friends (58 per cent), inspire friends with beautiful images (53 per cent), while only 18 per cent intended to make their friends jealous.
On the Asian side, an average of 29 per cent of respondents were baiting the green-eyed monster, with Hong Kong users being the most guilty (39 per cent), followed by Thailand (36 per cent).
Asian travellers were also fond of selfies. Some 53 per cent of Thai beachgoers, 40 per cent of respondents from India, 38 per cent of South Koreans and 35 per cent of Singaporeans said they would share selfies.
In contrast, the global average of respondents who said they would post selfies stands at 30 per cent.
The survey was conducted online from March 11 to April 2, and examines the behaviour and attitudes towards beach vacations among 11,165 respondents across 24 countries throughout the Asia-Pacific, North America and South America.
