New research from O2 Travel reveals that Brits get lost for a staggering 21.9million hours when abroad each year.
The study of 2,000 adults found that getting lost (20%), dealing with rude tourists (24%), struggling with the language barrier (22%) and eating unappetizing food (21%) are the top holiday bugbears for Brits.[1]
As a nation increasingly attached to their smartphones, with only 6% admitting to ever leaving their home without their mobile in the UK, it is perhaps not surprising that so many Brits find themselves struggling when abroad. The study revealed that only 14% of tourists take their phones out of their hotel room on day trips, with almost two thirds of those surveyed saying they switch off data on their smartphone for the duration of their holiday. Over half (54%) stated that the main cause for ditching their phones while on holiday was the fear of returning to big bills.
To help Brits stay connected when they travel in Europe, O2 has upgraded its Travel tariff. The improved tariff lets customers use data without having to worry about costs or having to rely on access to WiFi networks, meaning that holidaymakers no longer need switch off their data or leave their mobiles in their hotel room.
Pay Monthly customers will be charged £1.99 per day for all the data they need in Europe and Pay & Go customers get access to 50MB of data per day at the same cost.
O2 Travel has also launched a brand new app featuring content from Tripadvisor which is available on both iOS and Android devices. The free app gives customers access to city guides and maps to help the 25% who find European city breaks the most stressful type of holiday.
Nina Bibby, Marketing and Consumer Director at O2 said: “People use their mobiles as a source of information on a daily basis; we believe it should be no different when they are on holiday. By giving our customers access to all the data they need for just £1.99 a day when they are in Europe, we are offering them a worry free way to get the most out of their smartphones, whether it’s looking for a great place to eat, or navigating the streets of an unfamiliar city.”
The O2 Travel tariff is available to all customers. Pay Monthly customers can opt-in by texting O2TRAVEL to 23336.* Terms and conditions apply. The app is available for download now in both the Apple and Google app stores. For more information visit http://www.o2.co.uk/shop/international/using-phone-in-europe
*Pay & Go customers can opt in by texting TRAVELON to 21300
[1]The survey found that on average a British holidaymaker gets lost for 1.5 hours per holiday. The latest ONS figures for peak holiday season (July – Sept) found that 14.6million Brits go on holiday ONS ref – http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ott/overseas-travel-and-tourism—quarterly-release/q3-2013/rpt-overseas-travel-and-tourism–provisional-results-for-quarter-3-2013.html
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