We’re all going on a smartphone vacation

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Avatar of Linda Hohnholz
Written by Linda Hohnholz

ATLANTA, GA – Forget the sunscreen, magazines and guide books, new research released today by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) reveals that of more than 10,000 travelers across 13 countries worldw

ATLANTA, GA – Forget the sunscreen, magazines and guide books, new research released today by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) reveals that of more than 10,000 travelers across 13 countries worldwide, the must-have item for a vacation is your smartphone.

According to the research by IHGยฎ Rewards Club, nearly 40 percent of travelers agree that their smartphone is the most important item to take on vacation – and 67 percent agree that they will use it every single day. As a result, 1 in 10 travelers clock an impressive average of 70 hours online while on vacation – almost 20 percent of the actual time spent on a two-week vacation.

IHGยฎ Rewards Club is the first and largest hotel loyalty programme in the world, with nearly 80 million members worldwide. IHG is one of the world’s leading hotel companies, with over 4,700 hotels around the world and a family of nine trusted hotel brands.

IHGยฎ Rewards Club members are IHG’s most valued guests. In line with its aim of rewarding them for their loyalty, it surveyed more than 10,000 of its members worldwide in order to gain further insight into their relationships with their loyalty program and to learn more about their travel needs.

The survey found that the smartphone is fast replacing the traditional postcard with 64 percent of respondents saying they use it to text friends and another 32 percent to Skype friends and family back home, while on vacation. However, recounting vacation experiences with friends and family still remains one of the most enjoyable ways of sharing a vacation, with one in ten travelers saying this is as enjoyable as the vacation itself.

Planning a vacation is, nearly, half the fun – (45 percent) of all travelers say it is the best part of a vacation and more than a third (37 percent) spend over a day researching a vacation.

Susanna Freer-Epstein, Senior Vice President Customer Loyalty Marketing, IHG said:

“IHG is a brand and consumer driven company. We use insight to anticipate consumer trends and behavior. This research shows how mobile technology is revolutionizing the holiday experience โ€“ from enabling travelers to dream about and plan their holidays, to helping enjoy the trip itself and share their experiences with their friends and family.”

The survey also uncovered that 42 percent of travelers check social media every day while on vacation, with 25 percent of them even saying they always check Facebook before going to sleep. Taking selfies is also increasingly becoming one of the most popular ways to share vacation experiences, with 25 percent of travelers surveyed saying they use their smartphones for vacation selfies.

The top ten uses of smartphones by vacation makers are:

Checking work emails โ€“ 68%
Navigation / Maps โ€“ 67%
Texting โ€“ 64%
Taking vacation photos โ€“ 51%
Making calls โ€“ 42%
Snapping pictures of meals โ€“ 35%
Updating Facebook / Twitter โ€“ 32%
Skype-ing friends/family โ€“ 32%
Playing games โ€“ 27%
Taking selfies โ€“ 25%

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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