One of our most recent articles explored the reasons why science suggests that people should spend more of their money on travel, instead of material possessions, but there’s more to the science of adventure than learning about how travel makes you happier. For example, did you know that International tourist numbers reached a record level of 1.2 billion during 2015?
Strap on your money belt and get ready to explore the world. Whether you’re new to the travel lifestyle, or you’ve been seeking out new adventures for years now, we’ve put together some of the most interesting facts and statistics about travel for you to explore, and educate yourself with.
Travel Makes You Happier, and Healthier
We’ve already mentioned how travel can make you happier in the long-term, but did you know that it also has an incredible impact on your immediate mental, and physical health? Studies have found that travel is one of the best medicines in the world – helping you to feel younger and healthier for longer. According to the study, men who didn’t have the chance to take an annual vacation actually had a 20% increased risk of death. At the same time, a day or two after travel, 89% of the people in the study saw a significant drop in their stress levels. All of this reduced stress does great things for your health, from removing your gastrointestinal problems, to lowering your risk of heart disease.
Travel Makes You a Better Person
When it comes to statistics about travelling, according to scientists, travel in the form of vacations, or even day trips, can be enough to boost your brain power significantly. The more you travel, the more likely you are to develop more creative thinking processes that help to keep you motivated and inspired during the 9-5 routine. At the same time, travel can help to improve your problem solving skills by teaching your brain how to consider opportunities form a different perspective.
The U.S Needs More Vacation Days
The above statistics about travelling should be enough to inform you of just how important a regular adventure can be. Unfortunately, the U.S. remains to be the only developed country in the world that doesn’t allow workers access to a single paid holiday or vacation day. Despite this, a third of the world’s airports are actually located in America, which means that on average, there are around 61,000 people flying through the air over the country at any time, on any day.
It’s about time that America starts making the most of their own airspace and enjoying vacation time. For instance, employers may want to take a leaf out of Austria’s book, where citizens are said to have more vacation time than people in any other country. In fact, Austrian citizens are guaranteed a minimum of around 22 paid vacation days and thirteen paid holidays a year – which leaves them plenty of time to rest, relax, and recuperate, while building their brains, and improving their health.
