Feel The Power Of Travel

Think about it — has travel made you better? Whether it’s being more open to other cultures, coming home recharged or feeling more confident, the answer is likely yes, reports assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein in this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier.

“It’s something that we all think, that travel just makes us all better people. People who are well travelled are always so open minded,” Gabrielle Nydam, president of Contiki Canada observed. “At Contiki, we were like we can’t start saying these things anecdotally — we need to figure out why, and what are those aspects that really drive change, and is it true?”

Seeking insights on the transformative impact of travel, Contiki commissioned two third-party professional research organizations to survey 18 to 35 year olds from across Canada and compare the results from travellers against those who had never travelled internationally.

“What we found was there were multiple ways people felt they came out better. There was one part about confidence, the sense of belief in oneself did come out stronger for people who have travelled versus people who have not travelled,” she says.

And Nydam continued: “They were actually more confident, they were better problem solvers when they got back, and they were also more satisfied with their employment and their employment opportunities. So there was this sense of I’m actually really confident in who I am or I’m really happy to come back to my work because I really appreciate what I have.”

Called The Power of Travel, the results led the travel provider for 18-35 year olds to identify five key pillars that show how travel positively enhances the lives of young Canadians.

For the full story, check out this week’s cover story in the digital edition of Travel Courier.