New data from the Holafly Global eSIM & Travel Report 2025–2026 shows that digital friction has become one of the most widespread pain points of modern travel, with slow internet, unexpected roaming charges, and signal loss reshaping how people plan and experience their journeys.
Delays, queues, and cancellations have always been part of travel. But today, the most common frustration is digital.
According to the Holafly Global eSIM & Travel Report 2025–2026, 86.7% of travelers report experiencing at least one connectivity-related issue while traveling abroad, highlighting how widespread digital friction has become once people cross borders.
More than half of travelers say that slow or unreliable internet is their main pain point when traveling abroad. At the same time, 44% report feeling frustrated by unexpected roaming charges, and 43% say they lose signal when crossing borders.
This combination turns everyday moments into stress points. Maps fail when people need directions. Payment apps stop working at the wrong time. Messages do not go through when travelers are trying to coordinate, navigate, or simply feel safe.
What makes this different from the past is not the existence of friction, but the emotional weight it now carries. Connectivity failures no longer feel like technical issues. They feel like broken expectations.
Travel is now deeply digital
The modern journey unfolds through screens. Data shows that 91% of travelers rely on a smartphone while traveling. 37% travel with a laptop. 26% use tablets or wearables, and 16% carry additional digital devices such as e-readers or translators. Travel has become an always-on, multi-device experience.
This digital layer is no longer optional. It is how people navigate, book, communicate, work, document, and stay oriented. When that layer fails, the sense of control disappears quickly.
Only 3% of travelers stay completely offline. Everyone else depends on being online to make the trip work.
From inconvenience to deal breaker
What used to be tolerated is now avoided. 26% of travelers struggle with SIM or eSIM setup. 22% say that customer support is poor when something goes wrong.
Tolerance for friction is shrinking, especially among younger travelers. Under 35s are far less willing to accept complexity, slow performance, or uncertainty. For them, the digital experience is part of the travel experience itself.
This is why frustration is no longer something people complain about after the trip. It is something they actively plan to avoid before the trip begins.
Roaming still dominates, but behavior is shifting
The Holafly Global eSIM & Travel Report 2025–2026 shows that roaming remains the most used method for staying online abroad at 43%, followed by Wi-Fi only at 25%, eSIM at 17%, and physical SIM cards at 11%.
But this overall picture hides a fast-moving generational shift. Among travelers under 35, eSIM usage already reaches 25%. In Latin America and Oceania, adoption is around 23%, making these two regions among the fastest movers globally.
Younger travelers are not waiting for the industry to change. They are changing their own behavior by choosing tools that offer clarity, control, and predictability.
Why frustration now feels personal
The deeper shift is psychological. Travelers no longer see digital problems as technical failures. They see them as violations of trust. A dropped signal or an unexpected bill is not just annoying. It makes the traveler feel exposed, stressed, and out of control in an unfamiliar environment.
People expect clarity, stability, and transparency by default. When those expectations are not met, the experience feels unsafe.
That is why travelers are redesigning their journeys around predictability. They choose tools and services that remove uncertainty and restore a sense of control. They favor solutions that feel invisible, intuitive, and reliable.
