Social Media Has Killed The Postcard
Social media is now the most popular way for travellers to communicate with friends and family back home, while only six per cent now send a postcard when they go on holiday, according to new research from Skyscanner.
Once the most popular form of communication whilst on foreign shores, the postcard has been replaced by social networks, as two thirds of travellers polled say they log on from sunny places and almost a third use it as their primary means of telling those back home about their trip.
The internet has not only changed the way we communicate on holiday but also how we find inspiration to make our holiday choice.
The travel search site found that, with more than one billion monthly active users, Facebook is now the most popular way to update those at home about your travels, as over a quarter of holidaymakers uses it whilst away.
Almost a quarter stay in touch by sending text messages, while one in five admit to not making any effort to contact those at home, preferring to relax and unwind, taking a complete break from their everyday life.
Skyscanner's Victoria Bailie said: “Social networks have transformed the way we communicate with the world.
“They have now firmly replaced the postcard as the most popular way to stay in touch with those at home and to share our holiday experiences.”
Half of all holidaymakers admit to logging into their social networks at least every few days, while four per cent check their news feeds every couple of hours.
The survey of 1,200 travellers also revealed that travel agent brochures might also be a thing of the past, with 89 per cent of travellers no longer using brochures for holiday inspiration.
Instead, as with communication on holiday, when it comes to finding inspiration, travellers are turning to technology with 23 per cent visiting relevant websites when deciding where to go on holiday, and a fifth turning to social media sites.
Only 15 per cent of holidaymakers still get personal recommendations direct from friends and family.
Victoria added: “The internet has not only changed the way we communicate on holiday but also how we find inspiration to make our holiday choice.
“Gone are the days of trawling through endless travel agent brochures, these days most of us surf the net or turn to our favourite newspaper."
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