More than three quarters of Australian business travellers say social media has a negative impact on their ability to be accomplished during the day – higher than any other country, according to a first-of-its-kind global survey produced by Marriott Hotels.

The survey [1] from Marriott Hotels, the hotel brand that aims to create inspiring spaces to help guests reach their full potential, was fielded with 7,500 business travellers [2] across nine global markets, including Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, China, Germany, Colombia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
 
Key survey findings include:
 
Social media is the biggest blocker to Australians feeling accomplished during their day
Australians lead the pack in naming social media as being a key distractor in their day with 81 percent of the people surveyed saying that time spent on their social media platforms prevented them from feeling accomplished. In addition to social media preventing them from focusing, smartphone notifications (59 percent) and an overabundance of entertainment options, such as TV shows, podcasts and more (50 percent) were also listed as top distractors.
 
To-do lists – thought to streamline focus – might actually be counterproductive
Social media isn’t the only thing holding travellers back from being their creative best. Survey results showed 71 percent of global respondents said trying to complete everything on their to-do lists actually distracts them from focusing on what is really important, suggesting to-do lists might be holding travellers back instead of propelling them towards success. This was particularly prevalent amongst Australian respondents, with 79 percent agreeing with this statement – the highest of any country in the survey.
 
Australians are among the top multi-taskers
Following this trend of being overloaded, nearly 70 percent of global respondents estimated they spend at least one hour a day multitasking. U.S. respondents were found to be the most prone to multitasking at 80 percent, followed by Australian respondents at 75 percent. Only one percent of Australians said they do not multitask, and 36 percent said they spend three or more hours per day multitasking. Mexican and Chinese respondents were the least prone to multitasking, with just 57 percent and 56 percent respectively estimating that they do so for at least one hour a day.
 
While multitasking trends are evidently varied among the countries surveyed, the implications appear to be consistent among travellers everywhere. 83 percent of global respondents believe that not having enough time to clear their minds impacts their creativity and 81 percent believe it impacts their ability to be inspired.
 
In Australia specifically, 91 percent of respondents agreed that not having enough time in the day to clear their minds impacted their ability to be the best possible version of themselves. An overwhelming majority also agreed that it impacted their ability to be creative (87 percent), be inspired (84 percent), do their best work (85 percent) and take care of their personal needs (83 percent).
 
The “lightbulb” moment travellers everywhere crave can be recovered with just 15 minutes of clearing the mind
By giving into distractions and choosing to multitask, Australian travellers are taking away time that is otherwise necessary to relax, unwind and open the mind. Travellers are recognising this problem; almost half of Australian respondents (45 percent) said that if they had an additional 15 minutes in their day, they would devote it to clearing their minds and unwinding - higher than those who said they would use it to check/send emails (37 percent), and on par with those who said they would spend time with friends or family (45 percent).
 
What’s more, 40 percent of Australian travellers surveyed think the amount of time they need to relax or get into the right mindset to be creative is 15-30 minutes, showing that even just a short moment of pause can have a positive impact on both personal and professional performance.
 
When travellers do give themselves the headspace to think – the benefits are obvious
The survey clearly showed the benefits of getting into this clear state of mind. Of the Australian respondents, 80 percent agreed their daily routine leaves them little time to relax and reflex, but that:

• They tend to be most productive when they take a short break during the day to relax or recharge (87 percent)
• Inspiration often comes to them during a moment of pause (85 percent)
• They enjoy disconnecting from email and social media on a regular basis (82 percent) and they often produce their best work when disconnected from distractions (81 percent)
• If they do find time to relax and clear their mind, they are able to find clarity on a problem or issue they were experiencing (67 percent)

“Marriott Hotels knows our guests are motivated, busy individuals, and that they produce their best work when they can open their minds to inspiration,” said Mike Fulkerson, Vice President, Brand & Marketing Asia Pacific, Marriott International. “Our survey results reinforce this insight by highlighting the importance of disconnecting from our daily distractions and to-do lists – even for just a short period of time – in order to reach that ideal frame of mind and create space to think. At Marriott Hotels we have created an environment where travellers can feel free to do that through engaging hosts, modern design, innovative dining experiences, and inspiring partners such as TED and Manchester United.”

A pivotal point in the transformation journey

The survey findings come six years after Marriott Hotels began its worldwide property transformation for tomorrow’s modern traveller. This includes six properties across Australia and the Pacific – Brisbane Marriott Hotel; Melbourne Marriott Hotel; Marriott Vacation Club at Surfers Paradise; Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa; Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay; and Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay. Features of the new design for the brand include locally inspired accents, open closets and a flexible work surface that allows guests to freely move and use technology however they desire.

The brand’s newest campaign, Let Your Mind Travel, celebrates this milestone in the transformation journey, as well as the brand’s ethos around creating inspiring spaces, delivering inventive dining experiences and providing innovative M Club Lounge experiences for executives and Marriott Bonvoy members that help foster innovative thinking and allow guests to reach their full creative potential.

-ENDS-

[1] Source: 2019 Marriott International global survey of business travellers fielded through Propeller Insights September 24 – October 20, 2019
[2] Have taken three or more trips for business requiring an overnight hotel stay in the past year as well as one or more leisure trips requiring an overnight hotel stay in the past year.

Note to Editors
There were 7,588 respondents aged between 25 and 54 years in total. 53 percent of the sample pool were male and 47 percent were female. 1,003 respondents of the sample pool were Australians primarily residing in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. The remainder were from the United States, China, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom. Each respondent has taken three or more business trips and one or more leisure trips in the past year that has required an overnight hotel stay. This survey was conducted by US-based market research company, Propeller Insights, on behalf of Marriott Hotels.

Please see linked here for high res image. 
 
Media Contacts
GTI Tourism on behalf of Marriott International:
 
Abbey Sands
Senior Account Manager
abbey.sands@gtitourism.com.au // 02 8077 3550

Alex Wilson
Senior Account Executive
alex.wilson@gtitourism.com.au // 02 8077 3551
 
About Marriott Hotels
With over 550 hotels and resorts in over 60 countries and territories around the world, Marriott Hotels is evolving travel through every aspect of the guest's stay, helping to relax, clear minds, stimulate new ideas and anticipate travellers’ needs, leaving them inspired to reach their full potential. Boldly transforming itself for mobile and global travellers who blend work and play, Marriott leads the industry with innovations, including the Greatroom lobby and Mobile Guest Services that elevates style & design and technology. To learn more, visit www.MarriottHotels.com. Stay connected to Marriott Hotels on Facebook, @marriott on Twitter and @marriotthotels on Instagram. Marriott Hotels is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the new name of Marriott’s travel program replacing Marriott Rewards®, The Ritz- Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG). The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including earning points toward free hotel stays and nights toward Elite status recognition. To enrol for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com.
 
About Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 7,200 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 134 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company now offers one travel program, Marriott Bonvoy™, replacing Marriott Rewards®, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest®(SPG). For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.