Singapore,
05
September
2017
|
07:27
Europe/Amsterdam

Only go for ice-cream if it looks good on your social channels

  • Nearly half of travellers (46%) agree that the first day of their holiday sets the tone for the rest of the trip
  • When it comes to deciding what to do, taking pictures for social media channels and checking work emails tend to happen before the more traditional aspects of a holiday such as indulging in our first holiday ice cream!

Singapore, August 24, 2017 -- The first 24 hours[1] of a holiday are crucial, with nearly half of travellers (46%) believing that the first day sets the tone for the rest of the holiday, and just over one in three (36%) going as far to say that these hours can make or break their trip.

When respondents were asked about the top things they’d want to do during the first day of their holiday, the results paint an interesting picture of a 21st Century traveller. While more ‘traditional’ elements such as unpacking bags (63%), exploring accommodation (60%) and starting to plan for the next day’s activities (53%) came out as the top three activities, the research also shows how varied and much more tech orientated our activities on holiday are today compared to holidays gone by,

  • Take the ultimate picture for social media channels (27%, rising to 37% for 18-34 year olds)
  • Go online to check out local restaurant reviews (26%)
  • Meet someone new/attempt to make new friends (24%)
  • Try to improve language skills (16%)
  • Order room service (15%)
  • Listen to my holiday playlist (13%)
  • Check work emails (10%)

In terms of how long it takes travellers to do these activities, results revealed that taking pictures for social media channels, checking work emails and ordering room service all tend to happen before the more traditional aspects of a holiday like indulging in our first holiday ice cream and hitting the pool - 47% have a holiday treat within the first hour and only 19% hit the pool, versus 54% who take pictures, 56% who check emails and 57%, who order room service, within the same timeframe.

A different first 24 hours?

While nearly four in 10 (38%) travellers believe that the first 24 hours of a trip are the most memorable, high expectations can mean we’re prone to worrying that things won’t go as well as we want with almost one third (29%) saying they worry about things going wrong in the first day. But are these anxieties founded? How much do we expect a different first 24 hours to what actually happens?

When questioned about what travellers were worried would happen versus what actually happened, it’s clear that we tend to fret more than we need to:

  • Four in 10 (39%) were worried they would lose their luggage; this may be more of an urban myth as only eight per cent had this happen to them.
  • Forty per cent fretted about accommodation not living up to their expectations but their holiday story had a happy ending as 83% were pleasantly surprised when this actually did
  • Other anxieties that didn’t materialise include not being able to satisfy hunger by finding a good place to eat (35%) and fretting about falling ill (34%)
  • One key worry for travellers was not being able to get online/connect to Wi-Fi (40% worried about this!), reinforcing the keenness for travellers to be as tech-forward as possible. In actual fact over 7 in 10 (73%) said the opposite was true and they were able to log on to their heart’s content.

On the flip side, perception matches reality when it comes to our holiday hopes with these often being met. It was revealed that

  • Over half (54%) hoped to arrive to perfect weather; actually more than six in 10 (62%) said their wish came true – proving the weather gods may well exist
  • One in three (33%) said they’d hoped to make friends with other travellers; we’re a friendly bunch as the same number’s wish came true (32%)
  • Just over one in three said they were able to take the best picture for their social media channels (35%, rising to 46% of 18-34 year olds!)
  • Over a third (35%) discovered a hidden gem
  • Nearly one in five (19%) received an accommodation upgrade
  • Over one in 10 (13%) must have been speaking the language of love as they actually met a holiday romance in the first day.

When looking at traveller reviews on Booking.com, the nationalities most likely to talk about the above positive elements in their reviews and who may well have had the most fulfilling first 24 hours are Russians, Dutch, Thai, Spanish and Norwegians*.

Pepijn Rijvers, Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com comments: “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. Our mission at Booking.com is to empower people to experience the world, and that includes helping to ensure that those first holiday hours meet, if not exceed, those expectations. Accommodation is one component integral to any holiday, so whether you want to stay connected via Wi-Fi, munch a hearty breakfast every day or simply gaze on a great view, we make it easy to find the right stay for you, as well as developing the best in technology-powered solutions to make in-destination exploration a cinch, right from the start.”

-Ends-

CONTACT DETAILS

For further information, contact Nicole Verghese, Public Relations
nicole.verghese@booking.com / +65 6645 0500

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[1] Defined as the moment we arrive at our destination

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a nationally representative sample, provided by Research Now. In total 18,496 respondents were surveyed (1,000+ from the UK, US, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, India and Russia and 500+ each from Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand and Taiwan). Respondents completed an online survey between 27th April and 15th May 2017.

*Analysis of real Booking traveller review data across 42 languages, where specific keywords of 'friendly locals', 'taking / the perfect photograph', 'discover/discovering a hidden gem', were mentioned. The nationalities were then ranked as per those who mentioned these words the most in their reviews.

About Booking.com

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), Booking.com now employs more than 15,000 employees in 199 offices in 70 countries worldwide.

With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travellers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in over 40 languages, offer over 1.3 million properties, and cover more than 110,000 destinations in 227 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.4 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So whether travelling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal accommodation quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

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