Hello ... I am the digital traveller

There’s something about not having phone service or 3G in a foreign country that freaks me out. I worry about not being able to check my messages, emails and my daily essential — social media. I never realised how much I actually use and depend on technology, except for when I travel. In everyday life, technology is an afterthought. I take it for granted. It’s always there — I’m connected to my home WiFi, my office WiFi, my gym WiFi ... The list goes on. But when I travel, I realise, the comforts of home (also known as free WiFi) don’t exist. I worry about staying in touch. I would feel lost without my smartphone.

Despite all of that, the fear of being out of touch, doesn’t actually prevent me from travelling. I still consider myself a pro traveller. I use my phone throughout all phases of my trip. I am the champion of digital travel. From the early days of booking, to the final hours at the airport. I am someone who books months in advance. I scour the web for the cheapest hotel rooms. I can tell you on which day flights will be low-priced and on which day they will cost you an arm and a leg. How? I use apps, more apps and of course, booking websites. According to an independent global study commissioned by Travelport UAE travellers admitted to using an average of 18 different categories of apps, higher than the global average, when travelling or planning their travel. Of these, maps and video apps are the most popular.

I am not a wanderlust, living-out-of-a-suitcase kind of person. I am not obsessed with travelling. I occasionally take a trip every four months or so. But I am an obsessive planner. I book my hotel room online, I check in to my flights online and that’s only the beginning. I can’t even begin to start relating or understanding people who do it any other way. How ‘first world’ and millennial of me, right?

Planning my trips

I don’t use expertly put together guide books or professional itineraries, all I need is to search a hashtag of a neighbourhood on Instagram and the best coffee shops, breakfast places and nightclubs appear on my feed. I never go to tourist-ridden spots. I go to neighbourhood eateries that the locals have their meals at. Those are the real parts of the city. That is the beauty of people posting aspects of their life on social media.

Me, and many others like me can therefore learn about where to go and what to try. I’m not alone. According to the independent global study, 79 per cent of young travellers check out videos and photos posted by friends on social media as part of their research when travelling. The study also claims that younger travellers, like me, are much more dependent on help and advice from others. They use social media and review websites to research holiday ideas and say that they are influenced by them.

The booking process

Online mediums play such a big role when it comes to travel. Everything from planning where to go, to checking-in online and choosing your aeroplane seat is done through apps or desktop computers. I always laugh at my other friends who call the airlines to do it for them over the phone, or visit service centres (What!?). I don’t trust airline customer service representatives. In my head I always think that they want to charge me more. So I use ‘compare sites’ to get the best deal.

Sometimes, I feel like an entitled internet-obsessed young’un, however I am not alone. I am part of the majority of digital travellers. According to the digital traveller research; when it comes to booking holidays, the majority of UAE travellers, around 83 per cent, book their trips via their desktop or laptop, while 48 per cent book travel through their mobile phone.

Fear of switching off

I must be a nightmare to old people. I am someone who believes that free WiFi is a basic need. I am baffled at the number of airports that charge you for WiFi. I mean ... Why? According to the digital traveller research, other tourists from the UAE would feel lost without their smartphones and worry about technology failing or batteries running out. This desire to be always connected means that travellers demand access to free WiFi from their hotel. This requirement results in more than half of UAE travellers avoiding hotels that charge for WiFi.

My favourite destinations in the world include London, Goa, The Dead Sea and Athens to name a few. They are all so dissimilar from each other. However, no matter what, I still find the same common factors in all of these places: A comfortable bed, a private bathroom and WiFi access.