Tuesday, March 27, 2012

UAE residents abroad: A nation of snap-happy social butterflies keen to be green, survey reveals

  • 72% of UAE residents are photography enthusiasts abroad
  • 53% of UAE residents are keen to be green tourists
  • Hotel towels and batteries most likely items to make it out of UAE residents’ hotel rooms and into their suitcases
  • Paris wins the landmark battle as Eiffel Tower is voted the favorite attraction to visit
UAE, 27th March, 2012: UAE residents are keen photo-snapping, environmentally conscious holiday goers that have been known to take the odd hotel battery and towel home with them, according to a new report by LivingSocial and MarketSight. The report, commissioned by local commerce company LivingSocial as part of its ongoing efforts to discover and share information about local social trends and behavior, also suggests that UAE residents prefer the Eiffel Tower as a destination over Timbuktu and would choose shopping, eating and relaxing over strenuous sports activities when abroad.
Snap-happy social butterflies and keen to be green
When it comes to holidays, UAE residents are never without a camera to document their travels with 72% admitting to taking an abundance of photos on holiday. The survey also revealed that UAE residents are prone to socializing as 58% believed they were likely to meet new people and make new friends while on holiday. Social and avid photographers, UAE residents also showed a substantial concern for the environment with 53% of respondents highlighting an eco-friendly destination or hotel as a priority.

Shopping, eating and relaxing, but no snorkeling, skiing or volunteering
You can take the UAE residents out of the UAE, but you can’t take UAE out of the resident. Favourite pastimes are transferable to foreign lands, with 42% naming shopping as a favourite activity, 32% selecting eating in great restaurants, and 30% opting for a good chill out session on the beach. Volunteering was bottom of the favourite pastimes list with only 4% selecting the charitable option. Adventure sports on sea or snow are also a no-go with only 5% choosing snowboarding and skiing, and only 5% selecting diving or snorkeling as preferred holiday activities.



Always close to a virtual day in the office
While keen to document every move with a camera and mingle, UAE residents nevertheless find it difficult to completely disconnect from work when on holiday. UAE residents are never completely off the grid with 67% of respondents admitting to checking their phones and emails while on holiday. Detaching themselves from home seems to be easier with home apparently not being where the heart is, with only 25% confessing to missing home when on holiday. 

Honesty is best, but towels, batteries and bathrobes have tempted us
According to the results, UAE residents are dream guests for hotels with 54% denying having ever taken or ‘accidentally packed’ hotel property. Others have been tempted by guest room items with 19% confessing to having taken towels, 11% batteries, and 9% bathrobes. Safe on the hotel inventory list are clock radios with only 5% having pinched the digital device and only 3% confessing to having taken a lamp or a lightbulb.

There’s always an hour for the Eiffel Tower
UAE residents have visited an average of six foreign countries and- assuming money was no issue- 27% voted Paris’ Eiffel Tower as the key landmark to visit. Following closely behind was the Great Wall of China (24%) and in third place was India’s Taj Mahal (22%). Bottom of the priority list was Timbuktu with only 2% opting to visit the town in Mali; the ruins of Chichen Itza are also of little appeal with only 3% selecting the archeological site in Mexico as a top destination choice.

Lost, but rarely overcharged and passports and wallets we guard
According to the survey, getting lost is UAE residents’ number one mishap on vacation with 20% admitting to losing their way and a further 19% struggling to find a bathroom in the hour of need. Although victims to getting lost and struggling to find the toilets, UAE residents are nevertheless savvy tourists with only 18% of respondents admitting to being overcharged by a skilled vendor. The survey also found that UAE residents are very careful with their property with only 7% having been pickpocketed or robbed and only 6% having been victims of a scam or having had their passports or ID stolen
About the Survey
The survey was conducted during the month of February 2012 by independent research firm MarketSight using their customer database.
  • Total sample size of 187 respondents from the UAE
  • 68% of those surveyed were male and 32% female
  • Spread of ages, but skewed towards the younger demographic: between 18 and 34 (61%) and between 35 and 64 (36%)
  • The majority of respondents were from Abu Dhabi and Dubai: Abu Dhabi (30%), Dubai (33%) Sharjah (12%) and Al Ain (9%) and other Emirate cities (16%)
  • The average annual income was 200,000 to 299,000 (19%). Less than 75,000 (15%), 75,000- 149,999 (18%), 400,000 and above (26%)

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