A new study shows frequent travellers are happier with their lives than people who do not travel at all.
The study, published in the journal of Tourism Analysis, was conducted by Chun-Chu (Bamboo) Chen, an assistant professor in the School of Hospitality Business Management at Washington State University.
Chen intended to find out why some individuals travel more frequently than others and whether or not travel and tourism experiences have a prolonged effect on happiness and wellness.
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Additionally, participants in the survey who reported regularly travelling at least 75 miles away from home also reported being about 7 per cent happier when asked about their overall well-being than those who reported travelling very rarely or not at all.
Chen said in his study: “While things like work, family life, and friends play a bigger role in overall reports of well-being, the accumulation of travel experiences does appear to have a small yet noticeable effect on self-reported life satisfaction. It really illustrates the importance of being able to get out of your routine and experience new things.”
Out of the 500 survey participants, a little over half reported going on more than four pleasure trips a year. Only 7 per cent of respondents did not take any vacations.
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Based on the results of the study, Chen said travel companies, resorts, and even airlines could launch social media campaigns, such as creating hashtags about the scientific benefits of vacation, to spark people’s interest in discussing their opinions about travel.
“This research shows the more people talk about and plan vacations the more likely they are to take them. If you are like me and chomping at the bit to get out of dodge and see someplace new, this research will hopefully be some additional good motivation to start planning your next vacation,” he said.
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