Study Says Travelers Would Rather Give Up Sex Than Coffee
A new study by Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts revealed surprising details about travelers worldwide: they would rather give up sex than coffee. The survey on global coffee and travel habits was conducted by questioning travelers in six countries including India, the United States, and China, among other "key markets," according to a press release.
The Le Méridien survey found that coffee surpasses sex as the ideal wake-up call, according to more than half (53 percent) of the global respondents, and an overwhelming 78 percent would rather give up alcohol, social media, or sex with their spouse for a year, than not have their daily coffee.
The new study also revealed how today's travelers get their caffeine fix: Coffee remains an on-the-go necessity even when traveling, and on average people actually drink more coffee when they are away from home. An interesting finding also shows that a majority of travelers (53 percent) claim "to have experienced nostalgia for a destination due to the cup of coffee they enjoyed while traveling," according to the release.
When it comes to lodging, the coffee remains just as important, as 73 percent of respondents in the study would give up television and Internet in a hotel if it meant getting that perfect cup of coffee. Not even alcohol can stand up to coffee, with 63 percent of travelers saying they would lay off their favorite libation rather than coffee while staying at a hotel.
In a response to the new findings, Le Méridien will bring more than 100 professional baristas to their hotels around the world by the end of 2013.
"The new Le Méridien Master Barista program, derived from key findings from our study, will further bring to life a quintessential European café and breakfast culture at Le Méridien hotels and resorts around the world," Brian Povinelli, global brand leader at Le Méridien and Westin, said in the press release.
Le Méridien's intensively trained "Master Baristas" are set to not only serve hotel guests with great coffee, but to serve as "coffee cultural ambassador's," raising the local community's awareness of coffee. The integration of top baristas and a "coffee-shop like environment" in hotel lobbies are also responses to the survey results, as two-fifths of travelers prefer to get their coffee in the hotel lobby rather than make it in-room.
The final part of the study, which most of us probably can relate to, pinpointed the "other addiction" — social media. Sixty-four percent of survey responders said they check their social media accounts while having coffee, and traveling — all at the same time. And when it comes to sharing their day in pictures, more than half said that if they were to post a beverage on their social media accounts while on the road, it would be — you guessed it — coffee.