The ‘fly & flop’ holiday, in which travellers retreat to a beach resort to simply relax and sunbathe for two weeks, is fast becoming a holiday trend of the past. A recent survey revealed that over a third of all UK travellers are unable to completely switch off, regularly using the internet whilst abroad.

As a clear sign of changing times the familiar ‘summer holiday’, which was once an excuse to completely ‘shut-off’ from work and life at home, has moved into the 21st century with 40% of all UK travellers admitting to using the internet at least twice during their trip abroad.

The survey was commissioned by the ‘While in Egypt Stay Connected’ (WIESC) project for United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which creates metropolitan wireless networks in Egypt and is helping the country’s Internet infrastructure to be on par with that of other tourist destinations.

 

The survey also revealed that the key users of the internet whilst abroad is the 21-35 year age group, stating that the main purpose for both sexes logging on is to check and send personal emails. However, a greater number of men than women tend to check their work emails while on holiday, with women tending to use the internet to book day trips and research the destination.

 

The survey of UK adults, carried out by OnePoll, has identified a growing trend among the over-50s to get connected to the internet. The ‘silver surfer’ generation emerged as the age group who used the internet abroad more on a daily basis than any other age group, logging on to stay in touch with loved ones: checking and sending personal emails and uploading photos and ‘blogs’. 

 

Nihal Soliman, Marketing Advisor for the WIESC project, said: “Given the growth of internet use whilst abroad, the WIESC project brings Egypt in line with many other tourist destinations. The project will enable travellers to use the internet more easily when on vacation in Egypt.”

 

The WIESC project will deliver the newest wireless technology to two of Egypt’s key tourist areas, Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh, to further the wireless internet access already available in select airports, cafes and fast food restaurants across the country. The project also encompasses an extensive hotel connectivity programme across Egypt to facilitate in-room internet access in many 3* and most 4-5* hotels.
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