Three out of five UAE travellers admit they struggle to switch-off on holiday

• Three out of five people (60%) in the United Arab Emirates say they struggle to switch off from everyday life whilst on holiday
• One in three (31%) say that feeling overworked leads them to need a holiday
• Hilton has released ‘Sounds of the Stay’ – a free to download ASMR track designed to help UAE holidaymakers unwind whilst travelling to their destination and make the most of their holiday
• The track includes UAE travellers’ favourite relaxing sounds – a friendly hotel greeting (46%), gentle, crashing waves (44%), soothing lobby music (44%) and piano music in a restaurant (36%)

New research has revealed that three in five (60%) UAE-based travellers find it difficult to switch off from everyday life whilst holidaying and this is something Hilton want to help change.

The feeling of not being able to “switch off” will be a familiar feeling for many people and nearly a third of those polled said they did not feel like they were officially on holiday until they were actually travelling to their holiday destination.

And with 31% of UAE travellers saying that the prime reason for feeling like they needed a holiday was to escape feeling overworked and 46% saying that listening to music helped them get into holiday-mode, Hilton, which has over 7,000 hotels worldwide, has teamed up with leading psychologist and ASMR expert, Dr Giulia Poerio, to offer a solution.

Sounds of the Stay’ is a brand new ASMR track designed to help holidaymakers rest and relax and make the most out of their stay. Hilton researched what sounds transport travellers instantly into ‘stay’ mode, with sounds they cited as relaxing and inducing a holiday feeling as gentle, crashing waves (44%), soothing lobby music (44%), and restaurant piano music (36%).

These sounds inspired the unique ASMR track which also includes other aural cues that people say transport them instantly to their favourite holiday place, such as the crunch of sand underfoot (30%), the splash of your first dive into a pool (30%), laughter of children (33%) and the gentle hum of an aeroplane engine (33%).