In this issue of Wanderlust magazine

June 2013 issue • On sale from 23 May

In the June issue of Wanderlust it's all about dream destinations, the places on every traveller's wishlist including...

Everest Base Camp: 60 years after the highest peak on earth was first summited, we prove you don't need to be a mountaineer to experience its magic.

African Safari: Go walking among giants in Tanzania on the ultimate safari experience.

Galapagos: Discover the wildlife and local culture on Ecuador's most famous islands both by land and sea.

Antarctica: Penguins, glaciers and endless adventure at the edge of the world.

PLUS: Get paid to travel - find out how you can see the world AND make money, instant escapes to Corsica, Sweden, the Amalfi Coast and much, much more...

Click here to subscribe and receive a FREE £50 travel voucher.

Subscribe here >>>

www.wanderlust.co.uk

Is the death of the postcard imminent?

15th August 2012

The tradition of sending postcards could become a thing of the past, according to a new survey

The survey, conducted by O2 Travel, reported that 45% of people asked had never sent a postcard and only 16% of UK travellers would on their travels. Instead, 46% of British travellers keep in constant contact with friends and relatives via phones and computers. A mere 1% of travellers admitted they truly lose touch and don’t contact anyone while on a trip.

Text messaging has been signalled as the primary cause for the recent decline in the popularity of the postcard. A shocking 60% of people constantly update those back home with text messages. Travellers interacting with social media has also been cited as a large contributing factor. Around 46% of people actively use their social media profiles while abroad; 39% of people phone home; 34% use Facebook; and 29% use their emails while travelling.

Mobile phone network O2 has labelled the 2012 summer the “social summer” as the use of mobile internet usage continues to grow in popularity. UK residents travelling abroad are increasing their internet usage year on year and the rate is currently growing at more than a 100% a year.

The question is: would you still send a postcard on your travels? Or do you keep people up-to-date with emails, texts and calls? Let us know your thoughts below.

More like this

Coconuts sent by travellers as postcards | News... More

Postcards still popular in the digital age | News..... More

Passengers fail to turn off mobile phones | News.... More

Five rules of twitchhiking | Inspire me.... More

Previous Next

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or get more from Wanderlust - register today!

Your Comments (4)

15th August by Liz Cleere

Oh no ... say it ain't so! I collected postcards when I was younger and used to send them from all over the place.

Can't remember the last time I sent one. That's a lie, actually. I sent some from Jodhpur in 2010 and they still haven't arrived. Hmmm.

Report as inappropriate
15th August by Julia69

I can beat that. I posted some cards in Bombay as it was then in January 1996. My mother still doesn't believe me...

Just sent some cards this summer from Cape Town and from Windhoek, Namibia (the latter does a great line in Father Christmas in the desert cards but I did have to gatecrash the twentieth birthday celebrations of the Namibian Post Office to get to the post box).

Report as inappropriate
16th August by mooseontheloose

Well, not by me! I'm not on any social networking sites, although I do keep people up to date by email. I still like having some measure of being unavailable for contact while I travel (and in regular life it seems!). I always send postcards to family and friends while travelling, and to myself as well. It's always nice coming back from a trip with a beautiful postcard waiting in the mail reminding me of something about my trip.

Report as inappropriate
17th August by soo

Shame to see cards die out - I always looked forward to them as a kid. I never phone, only very rarely email/facebook if I am on a longer exotic trip. I do send close family/friends post cards when I am somewhere really unusual and nearly always send myself a postcard to remind me of where I was when! I try to pick cards that have great shots that sum the place up. Long live the post card.

Report as inappropriate

select

Departure date:

Open the calendar popup.

Return date:

Open the calendar popup.

Date flexibility:

Spin Up Spin Down

Need some travel planning inspiration?

Simply select the destination you’re interested in or the activities you’re looking for and we’ll send your request to a select panel of tour operators.

Each operator will respond to your request individually. Your details remain private and are not disclosed to any partners unless you decide to proceed with a booking. Enjoy!