The secret to true happiness is…

Young woman with a map in Florence, Italy

Research now shows what we all know – travel makes us happy.

Research commissioned by Booking.com, the leader in connecting people with the most incredible places to stay, has revealed that travel gives us such an emotional boost, we consider planning and going away on holiday more vital for our happiness than other big life occasions – such as our own wedding day (49%), going on a date with your partner (51%), landing a new job (50%), getting engaged (45%), and even having a baby (29%).

Sunset joy

The research, which questioned 17,000 people from 17 countries, revealed that for the majority, travel experiences, anything from backpacking, to boutique B&B breaks, family villa vacations, or even exotic and remote retreats, brings more lasting happiness than material things (70%). Which explains why most people (56%) prioritise vacations over possessions such as clothes, jewellery and gadgets while almost half (48%) rank travel over home improvements.

In a nutshell:

  • Almost half (49%) of people say a vacation brings them more happiness than their wedding day, while over half (51%) prefer travelling over going on a date with their partner
  • Three quarters of people (77%) book a vacation to cheer themselves up when they’re in need of a happiness boost
  • Seven out of ten (70%) then have the best time on vacation when they can make themselves at home in their place to stay
  • Over two thirds of us find happiness staying in a hotel, hostel or villa (67%), another third feel happiest staying in an apartment or home with local residents (33%).

Underwater selfie

The emotional lift that travel brings hits at each stage of the travel process from planning, through booking to actually going on vacation. And it’s the planning stages that give the most immediate boosts in happiness, with nearly three quarters of people (72%) saying they get a kick of excitement just from researching where to go on vacation. Over half (56%) agree they then feel happiest when booking their vacation, underlining the importance of instant booking when it comes to securing an ideal stay.

Shawn Achor, BA, MA, Harvard, is one of the world’s leading experts on happiness, NY Times bestselling author and speaker known for his advocacy of positive psychology

“In a world where every dollar and hour count, travellers are looking for a higher return than ever on their investment of time and money. Why take time off and pay money to be more stressed and less happy?”

The data from this new Booking.com study highlights how there is a very significant correlation between enjoying the booking experience, and happiness during the actual trip – meaning that one of the best predictors of a happy vacation is to have an enjoyable booking process. Travel planned well and instantly booked with ease can dramatically improve your happiness, no matter what type of stay and trip you seek,” he explained.

Couple relaxing on hotel rooftop

In fact, we are so addicted to planning and booking our trips, that over a third admit to researching vacations months in advance (35%) – with an eager 5% planning over a year in advance. This is then followed by the anticipation of what’s to come. Between booking and actually travelling, over a third admit to chasing a happiness boost by thinking about their vacation one or more times a day (39%). In preparation, eight out of ten (80%) find happiness in looking at a map and researching places to visit, and over half like planning and shopping for their vacation wardrobe (52%). Almost eight out of 10 people (79%) say scrolling through pictures of destinations and beautiful places to stay – from apartments to villas, hotels and B&Bs – help them to feel happy in the run up to their vacation – and another six out of ten (61%) enjoy continuing to read reviews of the accommodation they’ve just booked.

Yet, all the anticipation in the world can’t replace the happiness of actually being on vacation with six out of ten (62%) feeling a surge of happiness when they set their out of office and leave work. Almost nine out of ten (87%) say it’s the first day of a vacation and seeing their place t0 stay for the first time (83%) that are the happiest vacation moments. From then on, 70% say they have the best time on vacation when they can make themselves at home wherever they stay. Over two thirds find happiness when staying in a hotel, hostel or villa (67%), and another third feel happiest staying in an apartment or home with local residents (33%).

Enjoying in nature

“With people booking over 1.1 million room nights every 24 hours on Booking.com, we know just how important travel and enjoying that perfect stay is to people’s overall happiness, ” director of product, Booking.com , David Mau comments.

“The research reveals the excitement people feel when they can easily research potential places to go and types of places to stay. With over 1 million properties worldwide that have more than 23 million bookable rooms in over 30 types of accommodation in over 94,000 destinations around the world, people can boost their happiness in a few simple clicks on Booking.com.”

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