ALMOST of a third of Gen Z and Millennials would rather lose their passport than their mobile phone when on a trip abroad.
A poll of 2,000 adults who go on foreign holidays found just seven per cent of Gen Xs and 11 per cent of Boomers would prefer to misplace their passport over their mobile.
Younger generations rely twice as much on their device as their seniors when abroad – those aged 18 to 27 spending 89 minutes a day on their gadgets during a getaway.
However, Gen X, born between 1965 and 1980, use their device for just 47 minutes on average, whilst Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, only for 31 minutes a day.
Showing a need to stay connected while travelling, 40 per cent of Millennials, or those born between 1981 and 1996, and 34 per cent of Gen Z, youngsters born after 1996, admit they use their phone even more when on holiday than at home.
This contrasts with 69 per cent of Boomers and 62 per cent of Gen X who say they use their mobile less when on holiday, in an apparent effort to switch off.
Only seven per cent of Boomers say they would be worried about missing out on holiday experiences if they didn’t have their phone – yet that figure skyrockets to 29 per cent of Millennials.
In another sign of the times, of all those polled as part of research for mobile network provider iD Mobile, 20 per cent will use AI to plan their future getaways – and nine per cent have already done so, rising to 19 per cent and 20 per cent among Millennials and Gen Zs.
Of those who have already used AI on their travels, deciding which landmarks to visit (34 per cent), booking accommodation (32 per cent) and accommodation recommendations (30 per cent) were the top uses.
And 29 per cent had used it to create a budgeting plan, and 70 per cent said they plan to use AI for a lot or all of their holiday planning in the future.
Nearly a third (31 per cent) admit that they have had to pay additional roaming charges while abroad, with an average charge costing them a whopping £50.
More than three-quarters (77 per cent) said mobile networks should allow customers to browse the internet for free while abroad.
Lewis Henry, of iD Mobile, which offers free roaming in 50 destinations worldwide, said: “You shouldn’t have to go without your normal creature comforts when on holiday.
“Our research found millions of adults rely on their phones while they’re away just as much as they do at home.
“And in many cases, they’re even more important – while you may not necessarily need to scroll social media from your sunbed, getting directions or weather updates could be really handy.
“Just because you’re abroad doesn’t mean you should need to worry about additional costs of staying connected.”
The research also found taking photos (54 per cent), sending messages (46 per cent) and looking up directions (44 per cent) the most common usages of our devices when abroad.
While 42 per cent will check the weather forecast, and 29 per cent will simply scroll social media.
Other popular uses include finding which landmarks are genuinely worth a visit (34 per cent), booking accommodation (32 per cent) or tracking luggage (25 per cent).
While 35 per cent rely on their phone for important travel documents, including their flight boarding passes.
On a typical day on holiday, adults will take as many as 11 photos – 77 over the course of a week-long trip, according to research by OnePoll.
While famous landmarks are the top photo opportunity for Boomers (28 per cent), Gen Z and Millennial travellers are strongly drawn to nature’s beauty as their top choice (59 per cent and 39 per cent respectively).
For Gen Z, food photography also ranks highly (54 per cent) as do selfies at bars and restaurants (46 per cent). On average, Gen Z and Millennials post on social media 8.72 times during a week-long break, while Gen X and Boomers post far less at 3.65 times.
Lewis Henry of iD Mobile added: “There are so many things we take for granted now, that our phones give us.
“From being able to capture and edit photos and videos of our trips, to using AI as a travel guide, or even just entertaining us during transfers, phones are critical to the enjoyment of our holidays.
“eSIMs are now a great way of avoiding extra charges, conveniently allowing customers to switch to another network provider in a click for the chance to benefit from a better value roaming deal and make savings while they’re abroad.
“Of course, it’s good to look up every now and again to get a glimpse of where you’re staying – as ever, it’s all about finding the right balance.”
