ASIAN travellers are most addicted to mobile technology and are least likely to disconnect while on vacation, according to the new Disconnect to Reconnect survey from Hotels.com.
Examining digital vacationing habits across 28 countries worldwide, the global survey found out that travellers from Thailand were the least prepared to give up their mobile devices, with a staggering 85 per cent of Thai travellers saying they would be unwilling to do so. South Korea took second place (78 per cent), followed by Japan (69 per cent), China (67 per cent) and Singapore (60 per cent).
On the other end of the spectrum was India with a mere 20 per cent of participants saying they would be unable to abandon their mobile devices or laptops, followed by Argentina at 22 per cent. Elsewhere in North America, only 35 per cent of Americans, 27 per cent of Canadians and 28 per cent of Mexican travellers said they would be unwilling to do so.
“Going away on vacation should be a time to unwind, whether you’re lying on a beach in Cancun or snowboarding down a mountain in Vail,” said Taylor L Cole, APR, travel expert at Hotels.com. “While smartphones are useful for checking the weather or viewing maps, travellers would benefit from switching off their emails to disconnect and restore a little more of the all-important work-life balance.”
As for bragging rights and countries most likely to exaggerate their vacation experiences, China comes in on top with 67 per cent of respondents likely to lie to friends and family when returning home. Germany is close behind in second place with 64 per cent, and South Korea is third place with just under half (48 per cent) admitting they would embellish a travel story to impress others. Travellers from the US are less likely to exaggerate their experiences (24 per cent).
When it comes to American travel habits, two-thirds of Americans (66 per cent) say they spend at least some time using social media while on vacation, with 28 per cent saying they spend an hour or more each day. The majority of Americans also admit to spending some time checking or responding to work emails while on vacation (56 per cent), but most say they spend less than an hour a day (36 per cent), while 44 percent say they spend no time at all.
The Hotels.com study also revealed the top 10 most important travel items for Americans. Smartphones were the most important travel item after passports, while travel insurance was the least important of all.
