While some holiday-goers are sending postcards back to their friends and family, unsurprisingly the most favoured method of contact while abroad is Facebook, with 73 per cent of those surveyed using it to contact family andfriends back home.
Despite what people may think, the humble postcard is still managing to hold its own as a form of holiday correspondence. More than a quarter (28 per cent) of international visitors at Generator Hostels still send a postcard to friends and family when travelling abroad.
This is according to a survey of 505 people by Generator Hostels, Europe’s hostel chain.
While some holiday-goers are sending postcards back to their friends and family, unsurprisingly the most favoured method of contact while abroad is Facebook, with 73 per cent of those surveyed using it to contact family andfriends back home.
Despite the rising popularity of social networks, it seems the personal touch has not lost favour, with many young travellers phoning (60 per cent) and texting (60 per cent) theirclosest friends and family while abroad.
Video calls were a surprisingly popular method of contact, with 33 per cent choosing it to contact their friends and family at home while travelling. This highlights the popularity of applications such as Skype or Apple’s Facetime.
“It is great to see that young travellers are still sending postcards in this era of mobile technology. Postcards have always been the traditional way of telling everyone at home what a great time you’re having on holiday,” said Julia Luker at Generator Hostels.
“However, it’s not surprising to see that video and Facebook are some of the most popular modes of contact, especially with so many hostels and hotels providing internet access free of charge. We regularly see guests sharing their location at our hostels on Facebook, and using the free internet in the social areas to Skype their families at home.”
Generator Hostels is Europe’s fastest growing hostel chain. With hostels located in Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Hamburg, London and Venice, Generator Hostels has over 4,500 beds in Europe and attracts over 1.2million visitors from around the world each year. Adding to the chain will be a hostel in Barcelona, and another hostel in Berlin Mitte, both in 2013. Offering guests everything they need to stay entertained, each hostel has a famous Generator bar and travel desk where visitors can get free advice and book excursions. Additional facilities include luxury female dorms, en-suite rooms, single sex dorms as well as bed linen and free Wi-Fi in communal areas. Generator Hostels take the security of their guests seriously. There is 24-hour security and reception is open around the clock. Guests can now instantly book a bed with Generator Hostels’ award-winning IPhone app.
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She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
