Spontaneity Could Be The Best Medicine

While we all look forward to long awaited and much planned annual holidays, taking a spontaneous trip could be the key to releasing our inner child and relieving stress, according to new research released by Booking.com.

The survey asked 1,102 respondents across Canada about their attitude towards spontaneity and revealed that four out of five respondents (79%) agree that taking a spontaneous trip “boosts their happiness” while (59%) stated that it makes them “more productive at work” and “reduces stress” (67%).

The survey has also revealed the most popular hotel room rituals. When asked to pick the top three things they would do when first entering a hotel room almost half of all respondents (44%) stated that they most likely take in the scenic view. In contrast, only 7% would take the more “adult” stress release approach of checking out the mini-bar. Surprisingly, the ubiquitous selfie doesn’t make much of an appearance in the bedroom with only 4% of respondents stating that this was their first activity of choice.

So when are people most likely to just get up and go? The top season for spur of the moment getaways is summer, with over half (53%) of the vote. More free time (44%), getting away from the bad weather where they live (10%) and school holidays (6%) were all cited as top reasons for trying to get away in this season. The (hopefully) good weather allows 68% of travellers to go on a road trip while 69% would head to the beach instead. City trips are also popular at this time of the year with 76% of respondents saying that this was their most likely type of last minute summer holiday.

Demonstrating quite an adventurous spirit, over a quarter of Canadians (28%) are happy to book accommodations that they have never even heard of for last-minute trips, perhaps relying instead on reviews in order to inform their decision making process.

Booking.com provides customers with over 50 million real, relevant and recent reviews so travellers can get a real feel for their accommodation of choice, all before leaving the comfort of their sofa.

With 71% of respondents stating that they would like to book more spontaneous holidays, what stops Canadians from making those last minute holiday plans? Well, three out of four respondents (76%) say the hardest part of booking last minute trips is finding affordable and quality accommodation. In addition, half (55%) cite expense as a barrier to spur of the moment trips.

Commenting on the results of the survey Pepijn Rijvers, chief marketing officer of Booking.com said, “Our ‘on the go’ lifestyles are on the rise and we’ve seen a significant increase in travellers who want to book accommodation for travel within the next 48 hours. That’s why we designed the Booking Now app. In just two taps you can book accommodation that is immediately available and even get an A to B route map to take you straight to the door of your hotel.”