A new survey says that, nowadays, the watchword for travelers seems to be, "The Web – don't leave home without it."
Almost 80 percent of households surveyed have digital devices such as cameras, laptop computers, and digital music players, and seven of 10 take them along when they travel, according to a survey by I/H/R Research Group that was commissioned by SBC Communications.
Three-quarters of those asked said they were likely to hit the Internet while planning trips to check pricing, buy tickets, and make their reservations, with families also relying on cyberspace during their trips – two out of three surveyed said they were likely to e-mail friends, family, and colleagues while traveling, as well as getting maps and directions and sending digital images home.
Most traveling e-mailers, however, were more likely to e-mail friends and family than the office, the survey said.
"Vacation is a special time for most families, and they don't want to spend it hassling over details," SBC marketing director Deven Nongbri said about the survey results. "They recognize that high-speed Internet service and high-tech gadgets help them take care of the details and stay entertained during their trip, so they have more time to relax. After their trip, the Internet gives vacationers a fast, easy way to make their memories last until next year, by e-mailing photos to family and friends or uploading vacation movies and photos to a Website."
The survey also said having Internet access was important particularly to those travelers who own devices with Wi-Fi capability, with half of those telling questioners a high-speed Net connection was a huge factor when they chose where to stay, and one out of four seeking out and using Wi-Fi hot spots in airports, restaurants, or other locations during their trip.
These findings come barely a month after Boeing introduced on-board Internet access for selected aircraft, with Lufthansa, the German national airline, the first carrier to debut the service.
In addition, the survey said, 92 percent of travelers using the Net for planning are likely to check prices for hotels or air travel, 88 percent were likely to check maps of routes or destinations, and 84 percent were likely to check activities in the area. And among those using portable digital devices, 45 percent who owned digital music players were likely to create vacation music mixes from online libraries, 39 percent of PDA and laptop owners planned to download maps and directions, and about a fourth planned to pull maps, music, or video to their portable devices before their trips.
