Vacation, the Way It Used to Be
By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large
Do you ever find yourself fantasizing about vacation, the way it was back in the day when you were young and carefree? Vacation when there was just a rotary phone, and it was more effort to dial than anyone wanted to spend checking in. The whole notion of getting in touch was counter productive because vacation was taken, literally, to get away.
Well the days of the sacrosanct peace and quiet on vacation and true R&R may be over, thanks to our technology. The question is: what do you choose to do about it? I collaborated with Eileen Ogintz, nationally syndicated columnist of Taking the Kids, in order to find out exactly.
It turns out that families, singletons, and couples alike all have their own addictions to being in touch. What I found was rather telling. If you're traveling, I can bet that you won't be leaving home without your cell phone--most don't. Forty percent of people bring music and 30% bring their laptops along. Only 6% bring a BlackBerry(R); or other such device, and reluctantly, I must confess, I'm one of the people in that camp.
While most people (84%) say they don't select their vacation destinations by how wired it is, more and more hotels, airports, and even airlines are spreading the virtual possibilities at a furious pace. I was recently in Sayulita, Mexico--a remote surfers’ paradise that is also an old fishing village, where I felt completely lost without cell phone, Internet, or even an in-room phone. With much trepidation, I resisted calling from the hotel's one phone daily. In five days, I called for my messages only once! That makes me part of the minority of people, the 35% of travelers who claim that it's more stressful NOT to be plugged in while the majority (65%) of travelers say it's more stressful to BE plugged in. I find that it's worth mentioning that when you cut the data by age groups, the findings indicate that a larger percentage of the younger groups report that is more stressful NOT to be plugged in.
A quarter of vacationers seem to cling to the old ways, they're never plugged in on vacation! But for the majority of people who are, they're doing so in case of family or work emergencies or in case of a major world event. On average, those who check aren't obsessive. They touch base by voicemail or email once a day. The dirty little vacation secret is that 40% of people admit to sneaking away to check voicemail, email, or text while on vacation. The longest most people site as having gone without checking in is a matter of days, though 6% say it's a matter of hours!
The trend of our study reveals that the younger the demographics go, the more likely they are to rely on technology when they're away. Already we're seeing that kids can't leave home without their tunes, cell, and handheld games. When they get into the workforce, imagine what gadgetry they'll bring!
The Families and Work Institute conducted a study about “Over Work in America” and said that employees who do work related to their jobs while on vacation tend to be more overworked on the job. Kind of makes me think: I love being connected--one might say even I'm addicted to it. But there's a larger issue here: we're creating a world where we need to be accessible 24/7, and we're training our kids to do the same. If we're not careful, the potential to "get away" may be completely obsolete. It's worth considering in advance of your next break.
For more information on this poll, visit www.travelocity.com/pluggedinpoll
For more travel tips and advice, check out Amy Ziff’s monthly column, Travel Trends & Advice from A to Z, at www.travelocity.com/atoz. To suggest a topic for a future column or to tell about a travel experience of your own, please email Amy Ziff at ask.amy@travelocity.com.
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