A new study has identified six distinct personalities that make up a group trip, with nearly half of Brits recognising themselves as the 'Chief Vacation Officer' (CVO) – the person who gets holiday plans out of the group chat. The poll of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Samsung to highlight the Galaxy Z Fold7 as a travel command centre, found that 64% believe no trip would get off the ground without the CVO.
The Six Group Trip Personalities
According to the research, the six personalities include the 'Busy Bee' who is never free, the 'Ghost' who disappears until turning up at the departure gates, and the 'Snap Happy One' who cannot let a moment pass without snapping a photo. Others are the 'Fluent-ish Friend', who dives into the local language with confidence, and the 'Window Shoppers', who scour social media for recommendations but never book anything. The CVO is the sixth type, the organiser who makes the trip happen.
More than half (53%) said the CVO plays an undervalued role in making trips happen, from starting the chat to choosing destinations. Samsung enlisted Vicky Pattison, a self-confessed CVO, to explore how travel planning has evolved.
Vicky Pattison on the CVO Role
Vicky Pattison said: “It’s safe to say I love a holiday, and in my friendship group I am absolutely the lead booker and honestly, I thrive from the challenge. What starts as a simple ‘we should all go away’ somehow turns into you sorting dates, comparing hotels, collecting passport details and reminding people to pay you back and I secretly get a kick out of it. Everyone loves the holiday once it’s booked, but very few people see what goes into making it happen.”
Phones as Planning Tools
The research found that phones are increasingly important for CVOs, with 67% relying on them to organise trips. Social media helps 40% discover new destinations, while 42% use AI platforms to build itineraries. However, 46% still struggle to keep track of group chats, bookings, and preferences in one place. Gen Z is turning everyday downtime into planning windows, with 24% planning holidays during lunch breaks or commutes.
Top Holiday Planning Challenges
The biggest challenges for group trip planners include finding dates that work for everyone (42%), agreeing on a budget (27%), choosing where to stay (27%), and collecting passport details (11%). Others include dealing with people changing their minds, getting replies in the group chat, and chasing payments. To make planning easier, 37% would value viewing flights, hotels, and messages side by side, while 38% want to see multiple apps at once, 34% need easy multitasking between chats and bookings, and 32% desire a large screen for comparing options.
More than a third (37%) agreed that better tools for holiday planning would encourage them to organise more trips abroad.
