Social media: Beyond close friends

SINGAPORE  A Mercure sponsored survey indicates people are making more friends than ever when they travel, mainly due to social media.
The survey conducted in collaboration with Institut TNS Sofres, was based on a sample of 5,500 individuals from 13 countries, sheds new light on the notion of friendship in an era characterized by Web 2.0 and a surge in travel.
Findings showed that 56% of people who answered the survey have made friends while travelling.
And 45% of the people questioned said that they contacted friends of friends from their social network when travelling.
inside no 6A whopping 77% said they kept in touch with their friends on social networks while travelling.
Social media makes it easier to collect a wider group of so-called friends, but the adage still holds true that you are a lucky person if you can count your closest friends on one hand.
For most of us the circle of close friends consists of three to four people and we didn’t need a survey to confirm that. But what it did confirm is that, despite social media there were people surveyed who admitted they had no close friends at all. Of those sampled 7% of the French declared that they had no close friends. The Japanese were even more solitary, with 16% of them declaring they were friend poor.
Not surprisingly, the notion of close friendship is described as the sharing of values, the absence of judgement and total availability for one another. More than anything else, 83% of responders expect to be able to count on a close friend.
According to the survey people’s spheres of friends have also evolved because of travel.
More than half of travellers (56%) forged friendships during a trip. The Brazilians (84%), and most surprisingly given the language barriers, the Chinese (71%), are keen on cosmopolitan encounters. Conversely, the Japanese are the most reserved with only 11% of travellers declaring that they have made friends when travelling.
The survey also found that travellers make huge use of the social networks to organise their itinerary and benefit from sound advice of locals before embarking on a trip.
Social media buttonsFor example, 45% of the surveyed people said they contacted friends of friends on their social network when travelling. They seek their tips (49%) and their company (30%). As well as the pleasure of knowing someone locally. Also 35% of them said they found it reassuring to be able to count on an acquaintance if there was a problem or emergency.
It’s worth noting that the Australians go a step further and contact friends of friends mostly to ask if they can stay with them on their trip (35% of respondents).
People stay connected when we’re on holiday. 77% of the travellers stay in touch with their friends on social networks. Travel now confers status, and people share their discoveries with their friends back at home or at work. Post cards are dead! Long live photos (36%) and posts (32%)!
A hotel brand in Accor, Mercure made the survey through TNS Sofres with sampling in March based on a national representative sample in 13 countries: Germany, Italy, Brazil, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Netherlands, UK, France, China, Japan and Australia. A total of 5 500 individuals aged from 16 to 65 years old participated.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia