Fast Casual: How Brands Can Drum Up More Summer Business By Tapping Into Traveling Consumers

How important is finding a great restaurant to your average traveler? According to the results of a recent Hotels.com poll, at least as important as seeing a natural wonder, like the Grand Canyon, or symbol of a pivotal moment in history, like Gettysburg.

The study, based on a poll of nearly 10,000 people in 31 countries, found the following three somewhat unsettling facts about our vacation time:

• Among those polled, 81 percent said their smartphone is their No. 1 travel accessory.

• Most respondents said they spend an average of about three hours daily on their smartphones during vacation — more than any other single activity.

• The average traveler reported spending more time searching online for local restaurants than any other type of search, including those for vacation attractions.

More than half of those polled said their smartphones are their primary source of information on vacation and most of the time the information they seek on their phones is the location of their next meal or snack. In fact, the study found that a healthy 71 percent of our internet searches while away from home revolve around finding restaurants or food markets.

And how does that compare with our searches for other essential information for vacation? Well, more than twice as many of those polled said they spend time searching online for a place to eat on vacation, than searching for a place to play.