Some say men are from Mars and women are from Venus – but how different are they when it comes to travelling? In the latest poll by Singapore-based OTA ZUJI, 88% women were found to do their vacation research through travel sites or blogs, as compared to less than half of men (42%). In contrast, men (52%) seem more comfortable gathering insights from family and friends compared to women (7%).
“Looking at our travel blog, ZUJI Passport, we see twice as many women than men on our site. This is definitely consistent with the findings from our latest ZUJI-dex,” said Chua Hui Wan, Chief Executive Officer, ZUJI Singapore. “Considering the current digital era, it is interesting to see how men still prefer the old-fashioned and personal approach to gathering travel recommendations from family and friends instead of relying on online content.”
Responding to a series of travel habits and preferences, a total of 485 Singapore-based travellers participated in the poll. The following insights were discovered through the ZUJI-dex:
When prepping for a vacation
o Men (16%) are more likely to snag a travel deal when they see it as compared to women (12%).
o Both prefer to wait for the best travel and credit card deals promotions (Men: 40%, Women: 43%) – ZUJI bank partners also see more than a two-fold increase in credit card swipes during exclusive travel promotions.
o Men prefer dynamic planning (Men: 73%, Women: 70%), while women take preference in planning an itinerary (Men: 27%, Women 29%).
o 88% of women either Google travel tips by bloggers or check-out travel sites, like ZUJI and TripAdvisor, while only 42% of men do so. (To support this, 63% of page views on ZUJI Passport are by women, while the rest are men).
o Men (52%) on the other hand, prefer gathering insights from family and friends compared to women (7%).
On vacation must-dos and haves
o Men and women unite over their love for food and culture – making it top of their to-do lists when travelling.
o But men still prefer a vacation with a photographic view (40%), while women are out on a bargain hunt (48%).
o When travelling on a long haul flight, close to half of men (45%) must have a drink to unwind and calm the nerves, while a third of women (33%) turn to eye masks and ear plugs for a good sleep.
When it comes to dollars and cents
o Men (43%) would rather splurge to fill their bellies with the best local cuisine.
o Women (34%) prefer a little more glamour and would rather splurge on luxurious accommodation and shopping! (Top shopping destinations on ZUJI include Bangkok, Guangzhou and London).
o On a budget, more than half of both men (55%) and women (63%) are willing to forgo Wi-Fi access for a comfortable bed at night, despite living in a connected world.
o Over a third of men and more than a quarter of women would rather share bathroom and sleeping facilities than forgo air-conditioning!
On embarrassing travel episodes
o Close to 10% of women have lost their bathing suits in the sea!
o Men seem to be a little more scatter-brained, with 20% of them arriving at the wrong airport gate, as compared to 16% of women.
o Men also seem more star-struck, with a quarter of them (25%) mistaking a stranger for a celebrity while overseas, compared to women (17%).
Men tend to wanderlust more than women
o More men (15%) would like to travel 8 or more times a year than women (9%).
The travel trivia component of the ZUJI-dex polled 485 Singapore based travellers. Of the participants, 184 were men, and 300 were women. Each poll participant answered a series of 9 travel themed questions. For comparison purposes, the percentage data for each gender was derived independently from each gender group. The travel insights were based on ZUJI hotel and flight booking data dated between January to August 2015.
