Has social media 'killed' the postcard?
Facebook is now the most popular way for holidaymakers to communicate with friends and family back home, a survey has revealed.
A poll by travel search website Skyscanner has found that only six per cent of travellers send a postcard when they go on holiday.
It was once the most popular form of communication while on foreign shores, but today the postcard has been replaced by social networking sites, with 61 per cent of Brits saying they log on from sunnier climes and 30 per cent admitting to using it primarily to tell people about their trip.
With more than one billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most popular social media site and 26 per cent of tourists use it to update their friends and family.
Texting is the second most favoured way of keeping in touch, with almost a quarter (24 per cent) sending a text message to loved ones, while one in five people admit they do not make any effort to contact people at home, preferring to relax and take a break from everyday life.
Half of all holidaymakers admit to logging onto social media sites at least every few days, while four per cent check their news feeds every couple of hours.
The survey of 1,200 travellers also revealed that 89 per cent of travellers no longer use brochures for holiday inspiration and instead 23 per cent turn to travel company websites when deciding where to go on holiday, 22 per cent use social media, while just 15 per cent get personal recommendations from friends and family.
Skyscanner's Victoria Bailie said: "Social networks have transformed the way we communicate with the world. They have now firmly replaced the postcard as the most popular way to stay in touch with those at home and to share our holiday experiences.
"The internet has not only changed the way we communicate on holiday but also how we find inspiration to make our holiday choice. Gone are the days of trawling through endless travel agent brochures, these days most of us surf the net or turn to our favourite newspaper."
How we tell others about our trip while on holiday
26 per cent - Facebook
24 per cent - text message
14 per cent - phone
14 per cent - do not contact anyone
9 per cent - Skype
6 per cent - postcard
2 per cent - Twitter
5 per cent - other, including Instagram and Pinterest
Do you send postcards to your friends and family while on holiday or just log on to Facebook to tell them about your trip? Leave a comment and let us know below.
If you're part of the 14 per cent of people who likes to relax without social media or technology on holiday, here are some secluded hotels for proper escapes...
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