Survey reveals 9 out of 10 Indian travellers use mobile devices while on holiday to access social media and stay connected

                   Indian travellers most likely to brag on social media while on holiday

Despite the popular belief that holidays are supposed to be a time to unplug, 9 out of 10 Indian travellers (96%) admit to being attached to mobile technology while they are away, ranking above the global average (87%). This is what emerged from the the TripAdvisor® TripBarometer Mobile and Social survey¹.  The desire to stay connected with family and friends at home and fear of missing out are the principal reasons driving this growing attachment to mobile connection and social media usage while on holiday.

In addition to ranking above the global average (86%) for the use of mobile devices while on holiday, Indian travellers are also the world’s most likely to brag on social media about their trip. More than a third of Indian travellers (37%) admit to showing off on social media about their holiday – in all, 14% of them admit that they do it to make their friends jealous and 23% say that it wouldn’t be a holiday unless their friends know about it. Globally, only 19% of travellers use social media channels for these two purposes combined.

Keeping Connected with Mobile

According to the TripBarometer Mobile and Social survey, travellers from Indonesia are the most inclined to use mobile devices when they’re on the road (98%), followed by Indian travellers (96%). Globally, out of all generations, 18 to 24 year olds are the most avid users of mobile while travelling (94%) and women (88%) are slightly more attached to their mobile devices while on holiday than men (85%).

Mobile is making it possible for travellers to stay connected at all times during their trip, whether it be via smartphone or tablet. While calling (73%) and texting (62%) remain the key reasons for travellers to use their smartphones while travelling, a significant portion of them are using mobile technology to access social media and to look for recommendations on the go. The study also shows that Indian travellers are more inclined than the average global travellers to use their smartphones to access social media and look for recommendations while on the go.

Purpose	Percentage of travellers who use their smartphones while traveling
	Global		India
Accessing social media	32%		40%
Sharing social media	29%		35%
Looking for restaurants	36%		45%
Looking for things to do	27%		37%
Looking for hotels	22%		33%
Reading reviews	24%		32%

Social Media to Plan and to Travel

One in three Indian travellers relied on social media to plan their last trip, with a majority using it to see pictures and videos of where they’re going (72%), get recommendations (70%), find inspiration for what to do and see while they’re there (59%) and to look for deals (58%).

According to the study, 61% of travellers globally are also engaging heavily on social media during their holidays. The study reveals that Indian travellers are not only more likely to use social media while on the road (78%), they also to use it more to stay in touch with family and friends.

Purpose	Percentage of travelers who use social media on holiday for the following reasons
	Global	India
To contact people cheaply	53%	45%
To get recommendations while traveling	38%	49%
To stay up to date on friend and family news	42%	51%
To get overall news as per usual	32%	38%
To update social networks on a daily basis	28%	40%

“Travellers’ reliance on mobile devices and social media is consistent with the trends we’re seeing at TripAdvisor,” said Marc Charron, President of TripAdvisor for Business.  “TripAdvisor has 79 million average monthly mobile unique visitors, an increase of more than 216% from last year. Over 50 million people have installed our various apps, and we see that travellers are using them not only for planning but during their trips. Additionally, one in three TripAdvisor reviews are submitted by Facebook connected users, demonstrating that travellers are still keen to share their experiences via social media platforms after their trips.”

"Indians are significantly more likely to use their mobile devices while travelling as well as access social media while on holiday. This seems evident from the TripBarometer findings, which reveal that Indians (96%) are only second after Indonesians (98%) as most inclined to use mobile devices during travelling, way above the global average of 87%. Indians also emerge on top as most likely to brag on social media while on holiday", added Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India.