Taiwanese Travelers Love Checking In Globally—The “Ultimate Third Wheel” Upsets Their Partners

▲ Taiwanese people can’t put down their phones. (Photo/ Illustration/ Photo by reporter Huang Kexiang)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Mobile devices are the number one essential for Taiwanese travelers, according to the latest report from Hotels.com’s Mobile Travel Survey. It turns out that when Taiwanese people travel abroad, they’re not really relaxing but instead spending time responding to social media posts from friends. Their enthusiasm for checking in has even earned them the top spot globally, almost driving their partners crazy.

This Hotels.com Mobile Travel Survey polled 9,200 travelers across 31 countries. The findings revealed that Taiwanese travelers have the highest rate of “FOMO” (fear of missing out) in the world. Although they spend an average of 4.2 hours sightseeing per day, they dedicate three of those hours to scrolling through their phones. Over 10% of travelers even spend more than five hours on their devices, essentially using most of their travel time on their phones.

Among them, Taiwanese people check in 20% more than the global average, earning them another alternative world title. According to the survey, 60% of Taiwanese travelers said they constantly respond to social media posts while traveling to stay connected with friends—far higher than the global average of 32%. Another survey also shows that mobile devices have become the “ultimate third wheel,” beating out partners by a two-to-one margin to claim the top spot as the most essential item for Taiwanese travelers.