The Power of Sharing and the Allure of Low Cost Holidays

by Darwin on March 5, 2013

Guest Post – Closing Commentary is my own:

These days, it pays to be involved in social media. Whether you’re a big business, a little company, or a humble employee; keeping connected is a must for making money – and sometimes, saving it.

We’ve all absent-mindedly reposted pictures of cats on our Facebook pages, perhaps unaware that this simple act increases the viewing of the said kitty more than tenfold. Sharing is a powerful tool, and it’s no surprise that all sorts of companies are using sharable content to get their products across.

That’s why Cheapflights’ recent social app was such a good example of embracing the power of sharing.

Offering customers the chance to win a cool £2000 worth of holiday expenses, Cheapflights developed and published a shareable application on Facebook in the shape of a virtual scratch card.

Would-be holiday makers could ‘scratch their travel itch’, and cross their fingers in the hope of uncovering three passports – the symbols needed to snag the grand prize. But, if they weren’t lucky enough the first time, users could grab some more goes by sharing the application.

In touch with customers

According to Cheapflights Social Media Manager Pleasance Coddington, the idea of the app arose from a survey the travel solution website conducted last year.

“This app is designed to get people thinking about alternate holiday hotspots they might want to visit,” she said of the app, “and encourage people to share ideas; part of our campaign to help holidaymakers discover more of the world in 2013.”

According to the survey, British holiday makers are set in their ways when it comes to planning a break.

More for your money

According to the poll, 80% of Brits admitted they returned to the same holiday locations at least once.

“Most of us are creatures of habit,” says psychologist Dr Jane McCartney on the findings.

That’s certainly what the results suggest:

  • 39% said they would return to the same resort
  • 39% said they would eat at the same restaurant
  • 8% admitted that they would actually opt for the same hotel room
  • 20% said they would eat the same meals – so much for embracing the local varied cuisine!
  • 14% would make a habit of talking to the same waiter
  • 13% reinforce their previous memories by taking the same pictures as before

And the main reason behind the force of habit? Revisiting the perfect holiday over and over again.

At a close second was the cost.

We all know how pricey a holiday can be. Fortunately, there’s actually no reason to get stuck in a ‘holiday rut’ just because you need to tighten your belt.

For those of you who weren’t lucky enough to scratch away to find those three passports, there are plenty of low-cost options available that are easy to find. So how about embracing a little change?

Darwin’s Commentary: This is a timely contribution because I happen to be flying to Ireland in a couple weeks and was wondering what some cool stuff to do in Cork might be.  I was considering Blarney Castle, as I am always drawn to the historical sites when I visit Europe.  But there’s surely a ton to do, so any advice from locals or prior travelers would be great!

More in-line with the article itself and the data presented, I would also agree that we tend to vacation at the same spots each year domestically, and if I went back to Europe again for a multi-locale tour, we’d probably hit at least 1-2 of the same places while venturing out to some others.  There’s always the fear of the “unkown” or disappointment in a new venue and the desire to relive some of the past positive experiences you’ve had.  

Curious what your thoughts are on revisiting the same venues versus always trying something new:

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

STEVEN J. FROMM, ATTORNEY, LL.M. (TAXATION) March 6, 2013 at 9:58 am

Well, we are going to Amsterdam with friends and we stayed at the best hotel ever, the Amstel Intercontinental last time we were there. We are looking at other hotels but it is hard to not gravitate back to this amazing place. I will let you know what we ultimately decide but we may have a do-over because it was that good. You should see the amazing pool in the basement that is right on the Amstel River-to die for!

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