Travelling Parents Choose Social Media over Postcards

#Wishyouwerehere – Postcards from Mum and Dad may soon become a thing of the past, with a new survey showing more senior travellers prefer using social media to stay in touch with family and friends. 

The Princess Cruises’ survey of more than 1000 Australian parents aged over 50 found that 32 per cent communicated with their loved ones via Facebook and other social media when travelling - but only 28 per cent still sent postcards.

While two-thirds said they used phone calls to keep in touch, 65 per cent also nominated emails, while 58 per cent said they used text messages.

The survey also revealed almost as many people Skyped as wrote postcards, with 23 per cent going online for their phonecalls back home.

In other findings, the survey discovered that while more than 80 per cent of senior travellers used a digital camera to record their holidays, almost one-third also said they took pictures on their smart phones and 16 per cent used their iPads for photos and filming.

When asked what technology they travelled with on holidays, an impressive 41 per cent of seniors said they took a laptop, while 56 per cent used a smart phone and about one-third carried an iPad. Twelve per cent also said they travelled with an e-reader.

Princess Cruises’ spokesperson Meg Koffel said the cruise line, which has three ships based in Australia full time, had conducted the survey to get a better insight into the changing  habits of older travellers.

“Australians are known as avid users of technology and this survey shows that Mums, Dads and grandparents are keeping up with their kids when it comes to travelling with gadgets,” Ms Koffel said.  

“Princess Cruises in Australia mainly caters to passengers aged 50 and over and we’ve noticed that we are seeing more and more passengers filming their journeys on their iPad and tweeting their experiences with #relaxwithprincess.  

“But it’s also fascinating to see that this group of travellers is embracing social media as a way to keep in touch with their loved ones back home.”

Information supplied by : Princess Cruises.

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