Travel Is The Secret To True Happiness

No matter what kind of holiday people take, it’s a universal truth that travel makes everyone happy.

And now, Booking.com has commissioned new research that reveals that travel gives people such an emotional boost, that they consider planning and going away on holiday more vital for our happiness than other big life occasions – such as a person’s wedding day (49%); going on a date with a partner (51%); landing a new job (50%); getting engaged (45%); and even having a baby (29%).

Furthermore, 77% say they book a holiday just when they’re in need of a happiness boost.

The new research questioned 17,000 people from 17 countries, and it reveals that for the majority, travel experiences, anything from backpacking, to boutique B&B breaks, family villa holidays, or even exotic and remote retreats, brings more lasting happiness than material things (70%).

And that clearly explains why most people (56%) prioritize holidays over possessions such as clothes, jewellery and gadgets while almost half (48%) rank travel over home improvements.

The emotional lift that travel brings hits at each stage of the travel process from planning, through booking to actually going on holiday.

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 holiday.

Over half (56%) agree they then feel happiest when booking their holiday, underlining the importance of instant booking when it comes to securing an ideal stay.

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

Mau continued: “We also understand that exactly what makes each us of really happy when we travel is different, which is why we focus so much energy on helping people find the perfect place to stay and travel experience to suit them, whatever their budget, interests and needs. A rustic treehouse in the Swedish countryside may be your idea of Nirvana, while for someone else it might be a posh apartment in downtown Tokyo. Whichever it is, we have it.”

And Mau added: “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.”

For more, go to http://www.booking.com .