When it comes to all the ways people spend their time on vacation, it probably wouldn't be that hard to guess at least the first couple of activities: sightseeing, swimming, exploring the gourmet scene, posting about the experience on Instagram.
What's the first thing you do when you arrive to your destination, though? Booking.com has carried out a survey including 18.000 travellers from 25 countries worldwide, to find out what people do in the first 24 hours of their vacation. Here's what they found out:
The first three spots on the list are taken by the traditional elements of travelling – unpacking (68%), checking the accommodation facilities (60%) and planning activities for the next day (53%). Yes, that adds up to more than a 100%; it's a safe guess the participants in the survey had the option of choosing more than one answer.
When we look at Croatia, things change considerably. The first thing Croats do upon arriving somewhere? They have a beer, bless them. 68% of surveyed Croats head straight to the bar for some coffee, beer or wine – sightseeing can wait. On the responsible front, you have the 61% who unpack first, and 55% have also stated they like to take an afternoon nap. Makes perfect sense.
The important part of many people's vacation is technology. The first thing 27% of the surveyed do is brag on social media about what great time they're having; more than 37% of those are aged 18-34. This trend applies to 21% of Croats as well, and it's interesting to note that people will spend some time posting on social networks before they go for a swim. Travellers also opted for reading restaurant reviews (26%), meeting new people and forging new friendships (24%), trying to learn the language (16%) and ordering room service (15%).
In the first hour of vacation, 47% will have an ice cream, 19% will hang out at the pool, 54% like to take some photos, 56% check their email. More than a third of travellers care about quality of their bed, and they like to test it out by jumping on it or taking a nap (36%).
What do Croats consider priorities when rating the quality of accommodation? A comfortable mattress (52%), a nice view (48%), a substantial breakfast (41%), AC in their bedrooms (37%) and a warm welcome from their hosts (33%).
Source: Večernji list
