People Take Vacations; Media Use Does Not

by Steve Kraus, Mar 20, 2013, 6:10 AM

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Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing CNBC’s Robert Frank and Condé Nast Research Director Jennifer Sylvester as part of our Point-of-View Forum on Affluent travel. We had a wide-ranging discussion, and shared new data about Affluents’ favorite vacations ever, as well as the destinations they would most like to visit (Hawaii topped the list, followed closely by Europe and Alaska). Some of the data I found most compelling underscored a crucial point: Affluents take vacations, but their media use does not. 

Certainly, digital devices are part of the equation: Our February 2013 study found that 77% of Affluents took a smartphone with them on vacation in the past 12 months, with many taking tablets (47%) and laptops (47%) as well. The range of activities that Affluents engaged in digitally on vacation in the past 12 months is truly impressive: 

• Staying connected via personal email (75%) or posting photos/updates to social media (39%)
  
  
• Staying informed by keeping up with the news (57%)
  
  
• Entertaining themselves by reading articles for pleasure (40%) or watching movies/videos (37%)
  
  
• Planning their day with information about the weather (72%), maps/directions (66%) or local activities (43%)
  
  
• Traveling smarter by checking in for a flight (45%) or tracking flight status (40%)
  
  
• Eating better (hopefully) with restaurant recommendations/reviews (45%) or reservations (22%)
  
  
• Mixing business and pleasure by checking their work email (38%) or tracking expenses (17%)
  
  
• Navigating the local culture better with currency conversion (15%) or language translation (13%)

The Affluent enthusiasm for media while away from home is not limited to digital media, and extends to print as well. Our study also found that 61% of Affluents agree, “I enjoy reading magazines while traveling on vacation,” and 48% expressed a similar sentiment about newspapers. 

Clearly, the Affluent hunger for content and connectivity is pervasive and profound. When Affluents go on vacation … magazines, newspapers and digital devices go with them.

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