Holidaymakers 'can't switch off' while away

UK holidaymakers are increasingly failing to have a fully relaxing break when overseas, according to new research.

More than a third of British travellers cannot switch off from their home and work life and regularly log on to the web while abroad, the study by the While in Egypt Stay Connected (WIESC) project for the US Agency for International Development revealed.

Younger holidaymakers were found to be the greatest users of the web overseas, with the 21 to 35 age group logging on the most to check their emails and carry out research into day trips.

However, older travellers in the 50-plus age group were also found to use the net on a daily basis more than any other age group surveyed.

"The 'fly and flop' holiday, in which travellers retreat to a beach resort to simply relax and sunbathe for two weeks, is fast becoming a holiday trend of the past," the WIESC project said.

Internet usage is also prevalent across many global airports, with a number of hubs offering Wi-Fi web access to passengers. Virgin Atlantic recently announced that it is to extend its free Wi-Fi offering to all of its Upper Class Clubhouses by the end of 2007.

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