KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26- Smartphones are the top choice for holiday companion among Malaysian travellers, according to a Visa study, ‘Global Travel Intentions Study 2013’.
In a statement Wednesday, the global payments technology company, said the study showed that nine out of 10 Malaysians preferred to bring gadgets while travelling as they could be used to find essential information and enabled them to share their experiences with friends and family.
“Smartphones are the top choice as a holiday companion for Malaysian travellers (89 per cent), followed by cameras (76 per cent), computers (54 per cent), and entertainment devices (21 per cent),” it said.
It said the affluent travellers, in particular, will bring their gadgets in order to stay connected to work with 71 per cent of them accessing their emails regularly while abroad.
“This emerging trend is not just limited to the trip itself, as 80 per cent of Malaysian travellers share their holiday experiences online after returning from their trips,” it said.
Visa’s Country Manager for Malaysia, Stuart Tomlinson, said traditional word of mouth reviews from friends, relatives and guidebooks were still used, especially among travellers aged 25 to 34.
“However, online resources that offer reviews from frequent travellers as well as a host of other information such as currency converters, pictures, booking and discount facilities are becoming the first source of information for most Malaysian travellers,” he said.
– BERNAMA
