According to new research conducted by American Express, when out and about in their nearest city, seven out of ten Britons are looking down, distracted by smart phones and tablets.
As thousands of Britons pack their bags and head abroad to explore somewhere new this summer, 87% of people are operating on ‘Urban Autopilot’ when it comes to exploring their day to day surroundings and taking advantage of everything that’s on offer.
According to new research conducted by American Express, when out and about in their nearest city, seven out of ten Britons are looking down, distracted by smart phones and tablets. Over half (54%) are focussed on getting to their destination as quickly as possible and 43% are busy thinking about personal to-do lists or considering things to buy (41%). Just one in five take the time to look at their surroundings, and only one in ten take inspiration from their environment.
This is in stark contrast to the behaviour of Brits abroad. Those visiting a foreign city are three times more likely to research new places to visit and explore (49%), compared to just 16% who do so at home.
‘Urban Autopilot’ is changing the way people relate to urban spaces, with 43% saying they feel disconnected and uninspired and a similar number (44%) acknowledging that they are missing out on what their cities have to offer. In fact, as many as 82% Brits admit to exploring less than half of their local city.
Dr Esmee Hanna, sociologist, commented: “’Urban Autopilot’ is a great way to describe our behaviour in cities: all too often it’s about hurrying from one place to another rather than taking time to live in the present. As a result, we don’t always register the richness and diversity of our surroundings as we pass them by. When we go away we have our eyes and ears open to soak up the sights and sounds of the city we visit, if we did a bit more of this at home we would be amazed at how many inspiring and undiscovered places are waiting for us to experience.”
With this in mind, American Express has teamed up with influential bloggers and their communities to create maps of inspiring spaces to visit in Glasgow, Leeds, London and Manchester this summer. The hidden havens and hideaways which can be found at pinterest.co.uk/amexuk, range from the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park, identified as the perfect spot for a picnic, to the Viaducts in Leeds, an unused space transformed into an urban arts scene.
London-based writer and Bangs and a Bun blogger, Muireann Carey-Campbell, who worked with American Express to identify inspiring spots in the capital, comments: “I’ve lost count of the number of times friends have taken me places in London that I had no idea even existed. I’ve started walking more so that I can literally see more of the city and find places I’d previously have been unaware of. It’s also great to unplug, stop looking at your phone and just go rogue – take a day, pick an area you’ve ever been to and just get lost for a while. You may just find your new favourite hang out!”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
