Six Group Holiday Personalities: Which One Are You? New Study Reveals

A new study commissioned by Samsung has identified six distinct travel personality types that make up every group holiday, with nearly half of Britons identifying as the 'Chief Vacation Officer' (CVO) in their friendship circle. The CVO is the person who transforms holiday plans from group chat dreams into reality.

The Six Personalities

A poll of 2,000 adults found six different personalities that constitute a group trip. These 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 can't let a moment pass without snapping a photo. Also identified are the 'Fluent-ish Friend', who plunges into the local dialect with assurance, and the 'Window Shoppers', who trawl social media for suggestions and distribute them among the group but never actually make reservations.

The Chief Vacation Officer

The study, commissioned by Samsung to spotlight the Galaxy Z Fold7 as the ultimate travel command centre thanks to its Multi Window functionality, discovered that 64% believe no trip would get off the ground without the role of the CVO. From starting the chat to choosing destinations, 53% said the CVO plays an undervalued role in making trips happen. To highlight their heroic efforts, Samsung has recruited the backing of Vicky Pattison, a self-proclaimed Chief Vacation Officer, to explore how travel planning has evolved from a simple booking task into a juggling act across apps and the pride she feels when the plans finally exit the group chat.

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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."

Planning Challenges and Tools

The research discovered that phones are an increasingly vital tool for today's CVOs, with 67% depending on them to help organise trips, from social media to uncover new destinations (40%) and AI platforms to help construct the perfect itinerary (42%). Despite this, 46% still struggle to keep track of the group chat, bookings, and everyone's preferences in one place. This planning balancing act is no longer restricted to laptops or kitchen tables either, with Gen Z transforming everyday downtime into personal-admin opportunities, as 24% confess to planning a holiday during their lunch break or on the commute.

The most significant holiday planning obstacles for those who embark on group trips included selecting where to stay (27%), gathering everyone's passport details (11%), and finding dates that work for everyone (42%). When questioned what could make this task simpler, 37% would appreciate being able to view flights, hotels, and messages side by side. While others mentioned being able to see multiple apps at once (38%), effortless multitasking between chats, bookings and itineraries (34%), and a large screen for comparing options more easily (32%) as the device features they would find most helpful when planning a group trip. Over a third (37%) concurred that having superior tools to aid holiday planning would motivate them to organise more trips abroad.