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 fastest growing 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 and friends 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) their closest 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.”