Social media ‘travel bragging’ is ‘so 2014’, according to research1 by leading global flight search and travel deals website, Cheapflights.co.uk. The trend, which really mushroomed two years ago when mobile phone networks began dropping overseas data roaming charges, is on the wane, with nearly 60% of Brits now opting for a hashtag-free holiday.
The research by Cheapflights, as highlighted in this handy graphic, found that almost two thirds of today’s holidaymakers either refrain completely from, or at least limit how much they, post on social media during their getaway – 36% abstain altogether in favour of a digital detox, and 21% take lots of pictures on holiday, but wait until they are home before they share them2 so as to avoid creating envy among friends and family back home.
The worst offender for creating ‘R&R resentment’3 is ‘The Countdown’, for example “OMG 21 days to Majorca #excited”3; followed by “The office today” shot of a sun-drenched beach, pool or balcony; “Hotdog Legs”; and the use of multiple holiday hashtags such as #holiday #sunshine #tan #globetrotter.
The move in 2014 by many mobile phone networks to introduce free data roaming packages for users when abroad unleashed the travel bragging phenomenon as snap happy Brits could suddenly post their online brags to their hearts’ content with financial impunity. However, the independent survey of British holidaymakers showed that it has now become such a scourge that one in 102 of us has enacted the ultimate sanction and completely unfriended or “muted” a pal on social media because their ‘travel bragging’ became too much to bear.
Andrew Shelton, Managing Director of Cheapflights.co.uk says: “The phasing out of roaming charges fuelled the rise of travel bragging. Within 12 months, Facebook said that 42% of stories on the social site were travel-related, 51% of people put ‘holidays’ as one of the top three post-types, and 64% of its users were relying on the site to know where their friends were travelling4.
“But our research shows the backlash is on. In 2016 the average Brit posts three times on social media during a one-week holiday, a figure that, two years ago was up to four times as many. Back in 2014, research5 cited that a third of Brits could not go on holiday without posting online but today that figure is down to a fifth2.
“It seems that we’ve reached saturation point with many recognising that snapping away incessantly, posting and engaging on social media whilst on holiday, can result in them capturing life at the expense of living it – as well as cause trouble at home.”
For those who do opt to indulge, Facebook remains the channel of choice (46%), followed by Instagram (8%), Twitter (5%) and snapchat (3%), although user figures for Instagram and snapchat are markedly higher among the 18 – 24 year-old group at 21% and 20% respectively.
The number one travel brag that holidaymakers admit to posting themselves6 is the classic “Cocktail at sunset” shot, followed closely by pictures of amazing experiences like swimming with dolphins, “We’re off!” posts from the airport such as an image of packed bags or a selfie on the plane, the weather forecast and images of mouth-watering meals.
Interestingly divorcees are the least likely to use social media on holiday, pointing to a possible desire to hide what they are up to from the Ex. A hefty 63% of divorced holidaymakers claim that they do not use social media on holiday because they are “too busy enjoying themselves”, compared with 29% of singles and 37% of marrieds.
For ‘The rise and fall of travel bragging’ graphic, go to www.cheapflights.co.uk/news/the-rise-and-fall-of-travel-bragging
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