benefits of travel

7 Personal Benefits of Travel

Forget milling around in your finest evening wear, Singapore Sling in hand: You'll be lucky to get peanuts. Flying isn't quite the party it was in Sinatra's days, and lots of time, energy, and money are expended to leave home, so why travel? How long do the personal benefits of travel last?

Getting away from home and stepping outside of your usual routine is beneficial for both mind and body. The long-lasting personal benefits of visiting a foreign country far outweigh the costs and time to get there.

The great travel writer Pico Lyer said: "Travel is not really about leaving our homes, but leaving our habits." Here are seven ways that travel, especially international travel, will enhance your life.

Travel Sharpens the Mind

You've done your old routine for so many years that you could run through it on autopilot. Being dropped into a new environment engages a dormant part of your mind and gets those synapses firing again.

Suddenly, you'll be required to navigate unfamiliar places, read foreign languages , try new things, make quick decisions, and choose your new eating and sleeping schedule.

Unlike at home, all the new sights, sounds, and places will require mental processing and filing. Your brain will welcome the workout! Once you return home, you'll be sharper than ever for better organizing and sprucing up your daily routine.

A Shift in Perspective

"Nobody comes back from a journey the way they started it." — Unknown

Being exposed to new cultures and people will greatly shift your paradigm and create a healthier perspective once you return back home. Seeing different social classes creates compassion and really makes you feel more blessed and content. Large portions of the world's population have to deal with daily threats such as hunger, disease , and landmines .

A hard day at work suddenly doesn't seem so bad when you see people in developing countries toiling in sun-scorched fields from morning to dark, or begging for a drink of water.

A Chance to Try New Things

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

While you may branch out at home from time to time by trying new restaurants or splurging on expenditures, traveling kicks you out of the comfort zone and forces you, for better or worse, to try new things!

Even if you don't enjoy your first attempt at scuba diving , at least you'll be able to relate in a new way the next time you see it in a movie or hear someone talking about it.

Becoming a well-rounded individual enhances self-confidence and will help you find new material for conversation in social settings with a wider variety of people.

Who knows, you may accidentally discover your new favorite food or find out that you want to pursue a new career in karaoke!

Meet New People

"A journey is best measured in friends, not in miles." — Tim Cahill

You'll meet far more friendly people on the road than you will under ordinary circumstances at home.

Other travelers are always looking to share experiences, give tips on places to go, and meet people from all over. Striking up a conversation with other travelers is extraordinarily easy.

A polite "so where are you from?" breaks the ice quite easily and may lead to lasting friendships with people from all over the world.

See the Real Deal

"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries." — Aldous Huxley

Until you visit a place and form your own opinions, your understanding only comes from what you were taught in school, read in books, or saw on media, which may or may not be a complete truth.

Don't over-research your upcoming destination in guidebooks. Do your best to avoid building a bias toward a place or installing mental filters before you visit. Wait to form your own opinion, remaining objective until you can make up your own mind.

Exercise and Sunshine

Sure, you could just go sweat in the gym under fluorescent lighting, but chances are that you'll be much more active from day to day while on the road, regardless of whether your trip is an adventurous one or simply a relaxing beach trip .

You could be exploring new cities on foot, hiking , swimming, walking between places, and hopefully soaking up some needed sunshine while doing so. And it's guaranteed to smell better than the gym.

Come Home Renewed

After stepping away from home for a while, you'll return with renewed energy, a new set of mental filters, and ready to take on the next big project or challenge. Call it a life reboot.

Getting away for some time, even though it requires effort, will greatly enhance your attitude and productivity once you return home. Sure, you may have some mail piled up and matters to attend, but those are simple challenges easily knocked out.

Breaking up the monotony for a while is a great way to reduce stress and give your life an injection of excitement. Don't be surprised if shortly after your return, you're already counting down days until the next trip!

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22 Benefits of Traveling

By: Author Zachary Friedman

Posted on Last updated: February 22, 2024

Categories Travel

Home » Travel » 22 Benefits of Traveling

Whether you’re taking a quick weekend getaway or a multi-month sabbatical around the world, travel offers a wide range of benefits. From making you happier to reducing stress to teaching you about the world, this guide outlines 25 benefits of traveling.

Over the past 12 years, I’ve traveled to over 60 countries on 6 continents. I feel that travel has greatly improved my life. In this guide, I’ll share some of the biggest benefits that I have noticed.

1. Travel Makes You Happier

According to a recent study in the Journal of Tourism Analysis, people who travel frequently report being 7% happier than those who rarely or never travel. Interestingly, you don’t have to travel far to benefit. Participants of the study reported greater levels of happiness when they traveled 75 miles or more from home.

Spending money on experiences provides longer-lasting happiness than spending money on material items. This may be because people experience more happiness from anticipating experiences rather than from waiting to obtain material possessions. You’ll be happier if you spend your money on a plane ticket to Thailand rather than a new iPhone.

There other ways travel can make you happier. For example, travel allows you to experience new and exciting things. Travel also allows you to get away from the daily grind of work and other responsibilities. In addition, travel gives you the opportunity to create memories with your friends or family. Alternatively, it can also give you some time for yourself away from your parents, kids, boss, or co-workers. All of this can improve your happiness.

Personally, I feel the most happy when I’m on the road. Most of my best memories were made while traveling.

2. Traveling Improves Your Communication Skills

If you’re traveling somewhere completely foreign, you might face a language barrier. In this case, you will have to learn how to communicate in nonverbal ways using hand gestures and body language. This can improve your overall communication skills.

Travel also forces you to speak with people who are different from you. You’ll talk to people from different religions, social classes, cultures, political affiliations, and ethnic backgrounds. This will help you learn how to communicate with people with different beliefs, values, and life philosophies. Being able to talk to anyone is a great skill to have.

Travel also teaches you about different communication styles and how to adapt your own communication style to meet the needs of others. For example, in some cultures, people communicate more directly than in others. In some cultures, people are friendlier than in others. You’ll learn how to adapt to this during a conversation.

Finally, when you travel, you’re also forced to interact with lots of people. You’ll talk to tour guides, ticketing agents, receptionists, other travelers, and random locals. Chatting with lots of people can help you improve your social skills. This is particularly beneficial if you suffer from social anxiety.

Traveling is a great way to become a more effective communicator. Communication is an important skill that can help you in both your personal life and professional life.

I am not a good communicator. It’s something I’m constantly working on. I feel that travel has helped me improve in this department. I am way more confident when talking to people I don’t know.

3. Travel Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety

In a recent study , researchers found that travel can help to reduce stress and anxiety. During the study, a group of middle managers was sent on a short vacation (4 nights) in a hotel. This had an immediate effect on their reported levels of stress levels.

In this study, researchers also found that the mode of travel didn’t matter. Participants just needed to be outside of their normal environment for a few days to benefit. The effects were also surprisingly long-lasting. 30-45 days after the vacation ended, stress and anxiety levels were still reported to be lower among those who went on vacation than those who didn’t.

Travel can be a great way to reduce stress and anxiety in your life. If you work a stressful job, a long weekend away can help you recover.

If you’re traveling to reduce chronic stress, you will need to choose a style of travel that won’t cause you more stress. For example, if you’re afraid of flying, take a train instead. If you don’t like traveling alone, take somebody with you. Don’t give yourself more stress. It doesn’t matter where you go. You just need to leave for a few days and take a break from daily life to benefit.

4. Travel Makes Your Life Feel Longer

We all want to live longer. Travel can’t make you live longer but it can make your life feel longer. Here’s how:

Travel has a major impact on the way we perceive time. According to this interesting article, experiencing new things can slow our brain’s perception of time. This is why time seems to pass slower when we’re children. We’re constantly having new experiences.

When you’re traveling, time seems to move much more slowly because you’re constantly taking in new sights, learning new things, and tasting new foods. There’s always something new to experience.

When looking back, your vacation feels like it lasted far longer than it actually did. When you’re in your normal routine at home, months can fly by without you even noticing. It’s easy to get trapped in a routine and let years slip by.

When you travel frequently, your life will feel longer and more fulfilling because time seems to move more slowly. A month on the road can feel like a year when looking back. To me, this is one of the main benefits of travel.

5. Travel Helps You Achieve Peace of Mind

When you’re feeling stressed, burned out, or just fed up with life, sometimes, the best thing you can do is take a break and explore someplace new. Travel has a way of resetting your mind. When you return home, you can look at everything with fresh eyes. Even a short trip can help clear your head.

Being in unfamiliar surroundings makes it easier to let go of all the worries and concerns that are weighing you down at home. It takes your mind off things. When you’re exploring a new place, you don’t have time to dwell on whatever is stressing you out.

Travel is an excellent distraction. It can distract you from people in your life, your job, politics, and technology. You’re too busy taking in new sights, sounds, and experiences to think about your problems. This can bring you some inner peace.

Travel can also help you put your problems into perspective. When you view a beautiful site, you realize how great the world can be. You might also realize that your problems are minor compared to the problems of those living in other parts of the world. Someone living in poverty in a developing country might envy your life, even with all of your problems.

6. Travel Enhances Your Creativity

When you travel, you are exposed to new cultures, people, and experiences. This can open your mind to new ideas. In turn, this can lead to an increase in creativity.

Studies have shown that there is a link between travel and creativity. For example, in this article , Columbia Business School professor Adam Galinsky says, “Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms.”

Cognitive flexibility is the brain’s ability to switch between different ideas, tasks, or viewpoints. This is a key part of creativity. The study found that people who had spent time abroad were more likely to come up with creative solutions to problems than those who had not traveled.

If you’re a writer, photographer, designer, or artist, and you’re looking for a way to boost your creativity, consider taking a vacation. It could be just what you need to come up with your next big idea. Travel can help you think outside the box and inspire your work.

I have been living as a digital nomad for the past few years. I have noticed that I am more creative and productive when I travel. Most of my work involves writing. The ideas flow better when I’m on the road. It makes me more creative.

7. Travel Allows You to Try Excellent Food

When you travel, you have the opportunity to try all sorts of different foods that you would never have the opportunity to taste at home. You get to experience new flavors and textures that you would never otherwise encounter.

For me, the food is one of the best parts of exploring a new culture. Some people travel for food alone. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture. If you really love the cuisine, you can learn how to cook it by taking a cooking class. This is a great way to further immerse yourself in the culture. As an added bonus, you’ll learn how to prepare some authentic meals for your family.

Even if you end up not caring for the food, it’s still worth it for the experience. For example, while in the Philippines recently, I tried Balut. This is a fertilized duck embryo that is developing in the egg. It’s sold on the street. It’s not the most appetizing thing but eating it is an experience that I will never forget.

8. Traveling Has Physical Health Benefits

Many of us live sedentary lifestyles. We don’t get as much exercise as we should. While traveling, you will be active and you will get exercise. For example, you’ll walk more. You’ll be on your feet all day while sightseeing, walking through airports, and traveling around the city you’re visiting. You might also participate in outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, surfing, or cycling. Also, if you’re at the beach sitting out in the sun, your body produces vitamin D.

Additionally, travel has been linked with a reduction in heart disease. According to this article , “A nine-year study from the State University of New York at Oswego found that vacationing every year reduced the overall risk of death by about 20 percent, and the risk of death from heart disease by as much as 30 percent.” This means travel can reduce your risk of one of the leading causes of death.

9. International Travel Makes You More Tolerant and Understanding of Different People and Cultures

Before you travel, you might have some biases about certain groups of people. You may not even notice this. Travel challenges our beliefs.

While traveling, you’ll meet and interact with people from different backgrounds. Traveling also gives you a chance to learn about different customs, religions, and beliefs.

Travel allows you to see that people from all walks of life can be interesting, kind, and valuable members of society. You learn to accept others despite their differences. You become more tolerant towards people from different backgrounds.

In addition, people who are different from you learn to accept you. During your travels, you may encounter people who’ve never met a foreigner before. By meeting you and having a positive interaction, they may become a bit more tolerant and understanding of different people. Tolerance and acceptance can spread. This can make the world a little more peaceful.

10. Get Real-World Experience and Real-Life Education

When you travel, you gain real-world experience that can’t be replicated in a classroom. You learn how to plan ahead, problem-solve on the fly, improvise, navigate new surroundings, and deal with different types of people. It’s an education that you can’t get from a book. In other words, travel can help you become street-smart.

For example, before your trip, you need to learn how to book accommodation, transportation, tours, etc. When you arrive in a new city, you have to learn how to use the public transportation system. If you miss your bus, you have to find an alternative mode of transport. If there is a language barrier, you need to figure out how to communicate with body language. These real-world experiences teach you life lessons that come in handy in your day-to-day life.

Traveling also gives you a chance to learn about new cultures and customs. You can try new foods and experience new traditions. It’s an opportunity to learn about the world in a way that you can’t in a classroom. You learn through experience.

Travel also educates you. While traveling, you’ll learn about the history, geography, politics, art, and religion, of the places you’re visiting. You become more worldly and knowledgeable. I’ve picked up loads of interesting facts and bits of information in my travels that I otherwise would never have learned.

You also gain life experience when you travel. You might fall in love, make friends, and view the most beautiful artwork and landscapes the world has to offer. At the same time, you might fall victim to a crime, have your heart broken, get into an argument, or get in trouble with the law. All of these life experiences, both positive and negative, help you grow as a person.

11. You’ll Understand Yourself More When You Travel

When you travel, you’ll find yourself in unfamiliar situations. This is a great opportunity to learn more about yourself. You’ll see how you interact with people who are different. You’ll see how you respond to problems and setbacks. In addition, you’ll see how you react in various situations.

How do you react under pressure? How do you deal with unfamiliar situations? What kind of person are you? These are the kinds of questions that you can only answer by putting yourself in new and challenging situations. Travel forces you to grow and adapt in ways that you never would at home.

You will come back from your travels with a greater understanding of who you are and what you want out of life. Travel also helps you identify your shortcomings. After returning home, you can reevaluate yourself based on what you observed while traveling. You can work on improving yourself.

When you travel alone , you also have the opportunity to think about your emotions and thoughts. You can practice introspection. Long bus and train journeys are a great time to reflect. You have hours to yourself to just think. For some people, this is incredibly valuable.

Travel also allows you to compare your culture to other cultures. When you travel, you’ll see how others think and behave. This can help you better understand why you think, behave, or feel a certain way.

12. Travel Boosts Your Self Confidence

While some people are born confident, others have to work a little harder to find it. For those of us who struggle with self-confidence, traveling can be a great confidence booster.

If you can navigate your way around a new country or culture, you can pretty much get around anywhere. This is a great skill to have in life. It allows you to be more independent. Knowing you can get around anywhere can inspire confidence.

In addition, when you travel you learn how to talk to anybody. You might have to interact with a shopkeeper in Delhi, a flight attendant from Singapore, or a security guard from London. Being able to talk to anybody is extremely beneficial in social situations. It makes it easier to approach people, ask questions, and strike up conversations. This makes you feel more confident.

Traveling can also help you feel more comfortable in unique or challenging situations. For example, maybe you have to deal with a language barrier. Maybe you get lost. Maybe you just get confused.When you’re constantly exposed to new situations, you become desensitized. You can deal with these situations more confidently without feeling fear.

When you step out of your comfort zone, you realize that you’re more capable than you thought. You’ll overcome obstacles and take risks. Suddenly, anything feels possible and your life is no longer limited by your fears. When you’re confident, you can pursue your passions and goals without anything holding you back.

I have always struggled with self-confidence and self-doubt. Travel has helped me realize that I am more than capable of anything I set my mind to. This has been incredibly inspiring.

13. Travel Helps You Get Out of the Rut of Everyday Life

Travel can be a great way to get out of a rut. It allows you to free yourself from your daily routine and have time to yourself to relax or explore.

It can be a break from the mundane and repetitive day-to-day life of a 9-5. It’s easy to get caught up in a routine. You wake up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV and then go to bed.

When you travel, you have the opportunity to shake things up. You can try new activities, meet new people, and see new places. You escape the routine of staying in the same place.

Travel also gives you an opportunity to focus on yourself for a change. It can be a time to reflect on your life and what you want from it. While you’re traveling, you can also work on your physical health, mental health, or emotional health. Maybe you realize that you want to make some changes in your life.

14. Travel Expands Your Social Network

Making friends is one of the best parts of travel. When you travel, you meet people from all walks of life. You’ll have friends with different backgrounds. You’ll have friends from different countries and cultures.

These friends can come in handy when you visit their home countries. They can show you around, introduce you to new people, and help you get the most out of your trip.

As your social network grows, new opportunities open up. During your travels, you might meet someone who can help you get a job in a new city. A friend might connect you with other travelers. Maybe you meet your future spouse through a travel buddy.

I have made a number of lifelong friends while traveling. Some of them I still keep in contact with over a decade after meeting. Whenever we meet up, we pick up right where we left off.

15. Personal Development

Travel can make you a better person. Travel can make you a better communicator, more independent, more adaptable, more confident, more accepting, and more patient.

When you leave your comfort zone to travel, you’re forced to develop social skills. You’ll talk to people at hostels, on tours, and on public transport. Sometimes people will approach you to chat because you’re a foreigner. This can teach you better communication skills.

You also have to learn how to be independent. There is nobody there to hold your hand if you make a mistake or get lost. You will also spend a great deal of time alone while traveling. You have to learn how to live with your own thoughts.

When you travel, you also have to learn to adapt to the local culture. The locals won’t change to accommodate you. You have to change. Travel will make you more adaptable.

You also become more accepting of others. The locals may have different religious beliefs, morals, diets, languages, political beliefs, cultures, ways of life, or behaviors. You’ll learn to accept these differences and look past them.

And as you navigate new surroundings and meet new people, you’ll become more confident. You may become more courageous after facing scary, uncomfortable, or dangerous situations.

Travel can also help you develop personality and character. This happens when you face hardships. Travel isn’t always easy. You might fall victim to a crime. People might discriminate against you. You might have to deal with a language barrier. These may seem like negative experiences when they happen but they can help build character.

You’ll also develop patience when you travel. Things don’t always go as planned. Maybe your flight gets delayed 12 hours. Maybe you have to gather a stack of documents and deal with a bunch of red tape to apply for a visa. The internet might go down or the power might go out. You learn to just roll with the punches.

16. Travel Teaches Us to Appreciate Nature and the Earth

When we travel, we get to see some of the most amazing natural wonders that the earth has to offer. For some of us, travel is the first time that we see mountains, deserts, jungles, or oceans. Travel allows us to view different types of plant life and wildlife in their natural habitats. It’s also our first experience with different types of climates and landscapes.

One of my greatest travel experiences was going on a safari in the Serengeti . Seeing the Milky Way for the first time while camping in the desert in Namibia was also unforgettable. If I stayed in my hometown and didn’t travel, I would have never seen an elephant, an ocean, or a desert.

While traveling, you’ll also witness the destruction of natural environments through pollution, deforestation, and other human activities. You’ll realize how fragile the planet is. This can be heartbreaking but educational.

Through travel, we learn to appreciate the Earth. We learn how fortunate we are to have such a diverse and beautiful planet. We start to realize that it is our responsibility to protect and preserve the Earth for future generations.

17. World Travel Makes you Appreciate Your Home Even More

Traveling can be an amazing experience. It can also be exhausting, overwhelming, and uncomfortable.

After a long vacation, there is nothing like coming home and sleeping in your own bed. While traveling, all of the little things that you took for granted, like a soft bed, a hot shower, and your own bathroom, become luxuries. During a long trip, you will miss the comforts and conveniences of home. It’s hard to get a good night of sleep while camping, sharing a room in a hostel , or simply sleeping in an unfamiliar place.

Travel can also be exhausting. Packing and unpacking. Moving from place to place. Sitting on buses, planes, and trains for hours, and walking around sightseeing takes a lot out of you. When you return home, you may actually appreciate your normal routine.

In addition, you may find a new appreciation for how things work in your home country. In some countries, nothing works. There is bureaucracy and red tape. There are long lines to withdraw cash or buy food. The power may go out frequently. The tap water might not be potable. When you return home, you may realize that most things just work. You may find a new appreciation for your country.

You may also have a feeling of relief when you return home. On your home turf, you know the local laws, customs, and culture. You know your rights and freedoms. You don’t have to worry about accidentally breaking a law or offending someone. It’s nice to feel like part of society. Like you belong. When you’re abroad, you’re always an outsider. You’re not quite sure what you can and can’t do.

You also won’t have to deal with a language barrier when you return home. It’s nice to be able to hold an in-depth conversation and talk freely with other people. Struggling to communicate gets exhausting.

All of this can help you appreciate your home country much more.

While traveling, I have gained a much greater appreciation for my home country, the United States. After traveling to 66 countries on 6 continents, I can’t think of a place I’d rather live. I think the U.S. is the greatest country, even though it has its flaws.

18. Travel Helps You Find a New Purpose

Many people find that travel can be a life-changing experience. It can help you to find a new purpose or direction in life, especially if you feel like you’re at a crossroads. Traveling can give you the time and space to reflect on your career or your life, and make decisions about what you want to do next.

Travel can also help you to see the world from a different perspective and learn new things about yourself. If you’re feeling lost or stuck, taking some time out to travel may be just what you need.

Travel certainly helped me find a purpose. When I left home on my first solo trip , I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. After returning home, One thing I knew was that I wanted to travel.

Years later, after losing my job, I felt lost I didn’t know what to do so I took a trip to Africa. After returning from that trip, I launched this website and started making a living writing about travel. These days, I live as a digital nomad . I make my living as a professional blogger. I feel happy.

19. Expand Your Horizons and Try New Things

Traveling to a new place will help you see the world in a different way. When you travel, you’ll have the opportunity to try new things. You’ll see new sites, taste new foods, talk to new people, hear new music, smell new smells, and be introduced to new thoughts and ideas.

For example, maybe you go surfing, Scuba diving, or horseback riding for the first time. Maybe you see the pyramids, taste sushi, or talk to a local student.

All of these experiences allow you to learn and see things from a different perspective. It can also simply be a lot of fun to try new things. Travel opens the mind. It might open your eyes to something new.

20. Travel Lets Us Take a Break from the Rat Race and Recharge

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the grind. You might feel like you’re on a hamster wheel. If you’re starting to feel burned out, travel gives you an opportunity to take a break and recharge.

Travel allows you to take a step back from your normal life and just relax. Not every trip needs to be educational or challenging. You can just relax by the pool and have some drinks or take a stroll on the beach.

This can help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also give you a much-needed opportunity to simply rest and rejuvenate. An annual vacation can provide some real health benefits.

21. You Can Learn a New Language

If you’re trying to learn a new language, traveling to a foreign country where that language is spoken will help you tremendously. Actually, the only way to truly become fluent in a language is to immerse yourself in it.

When you travel, you will constantly be exposed to new words and phrases. You’ll also have the opportunity to talk to native speakers. This gives you a chance to practice and improve your comprehension and pronunciation.

Even if you’re not actively trying to learn the language, you’ll pick up some words here and there. For example, I learned basic Portuguese while traveling in Brazil for 2.5 months this year. I probably won’t use it often but it was fun to learn.

Learning a language allows you to communicate with people who only speak that language. This opens up new opportunities to travel and experience different cultures.

In addition, learning a new language can help to sharpen cognitive skills, such as memory and critical thinking. Studies have even shown that bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia.

22. You’ll Make Lifetime Memories

When you travel, you create memories that last a lifetime. Some of my most memorable life experiences have happened while traveling. I will never forget my motorcycle trip across Vietnam. I will never forget walking on the Great Wall of China .

You can tell stories about your adventures to your friends and family. My dad’s travel stories are one of the main reasons I started traveling myself. He inspired me.

If you travel with friends or family, you’ll have more stories to look back on and reminisce about when you’re older. Even though I’ve only been traveling for a decade, I still enjoy looking back at old photos and talking to travel buddies about our journeys.

How has travel benefited you? Share your experience in the comments below!

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15 Benefits of Travelling and Why Travel Is Good for You

What comes to your mind when someone asks you about “travel”? Does travel mean a vacation on the beach while sipping some margaritas, an adventure to the unknown, or an Instagrammable sunset destination? The idea of travelling varies from person to person, but the advantages of travelling are unbounded.

When you travel, not the trip or the vacation itself, but the whole process of planning, exploring, and returning from a trip is important. When you realise how the benefits of travelling can do wonders for you, you definitely will have the motivation to pack your bag and start travelling more. What is it about travelling that always makes you feel good after coming back from a trip? There are so many advantages behind travel, but here are the top 15 benefits.

The Health Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Improves Your Health and Mind

Improving your well-being is one of the fundamental benefits of travelling. Travelling helps to decrease the risks of heart attack and anxiety, while developing our brain health. There have been studies proving that travel can place a positive impact on our heart health. One study from Framingham Heart Studies Organization published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows that women who would travel at least twice a year had a significantly lower risk of developing coronary heart disease or heart attack compared with those who would only be able to travel once in every six years.

One of the health benefits of travelling is that when you travel to new surroundings, you press a restart button to your body and mind, which brings in fresh energy when you get back to your regular activities. It keeps you physically fit by being active on the journey, exploring nature, hiking, or strolling the local markets. A healthy body means a healthy mind, and the stimulation you get from travelling can boost your productivity and effectiveness in your daily work.

Exploring a new place, trying new things, and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can increase the level of dopamine in your brain. This will contribute to how we strive, focus on things and find things interesting. Remember, “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind,” said the Roman philosopher Seneca.

Source: unsplash.com

The Advantages of Travelling: Travelling Improves Your Communication and Language Skills in Many Ways

Some people enjoy the idea of travelling because it allows them to meet new people from all walks of life. Speaking to new people and getting new perspectives will change how one perceives the world and easily get engaged in various topics of conversation. Travel really helps in consolidating both effective communication and social skills as you are exposed to different cultures and outlooks. This benefit you get from travelling can be applied not only to your personal life but your work life also .

Setting foot in a new part of your country or a new part of the world means you are out of your ordinary comfort zone. Everything is new and captivating to your curiosity. The benefit of this is you are eager to learn new things and open to new ideas and concepts. This will naturally lead to the urge to open your mind and practice your people skills, whether you travel alone or with someone else.

Travelling is when creativity comes into play in your daily communication. When you travel to a new country, there are situations where you would have to use not only verbal communication but also gestures and other non-verbal ways to express yourself. Whether you ask for directions, buy ingredients at a local market or have a conversation with a local, be prepared to utilize your body language skills!

The Benefits of Travelling: Hedonistic Travel Ensures Peace, Calms Your Mind and Encourages Positive Feelings

When going on a holiday, we often tend to be stimulated, present and be in the moment, which brings us a step closer to achieving mindfulness. Travelling alone brings in the feeling of solitude that we don’t often get enough of. Travelling allows us to be disconnected from people, and even technology, for a while, and be more connected to our own mind and self, which leads us to our inner peace.

Whether it is domestic or international travel, travelers step out of their habitat and get exposed to other conditions of life. We find ourselves more thankful for our life and realise what we have might be what others desire. Appreciation to every little thing in life is one way or another a course for happiness.

Travelling also changes our attitude towards life and people in a more positive way. We observe things and think from a broader perspective when our mind is open to the outside world. The benefit of travelling helps us embrace cultural and social differences more when immersing ourselves in a different environment with new people and perspectives. Moreover, coming back from a journey means ticking off one goal and proving our ability to overcome challenges. This forms the positive attitude that helps us tackle the hurdles.

Why Travelling is Good? International Travelling Boosts Creativity through Experiences

“Why would travel have anything to do with creativity?” you may ask. First of all, it is associated with the sense of being innovative. When we travel, we try the local cuisines which we might have never tried before, get exposed to new customs and culture, and get introduced to unfamiliar ideas and beliefs. This stimulates creativity within our thinking, our methods and how we deal with certain situations. It is easier for us to come across new ideas when we get out of our usual surroundings. If we are put in boxes, how can we think “outside the box”?

Travelling teaches you to be creative and that everything has an alternative. What if you bump into a toilet that only has a hole on the ground, or a bathroom without a shower but only a bucket of water? That is travelling forces you to use your creativity to roll along with it.

What you might have experienced but not have realised when you travel is that travelling touches your every sense. Ask yourself this question, do you feel a strong sensation by a mellow sound you have never heard, an exquisite taste from local cuisines, an evoking smell from a street food vendor, or a remarkable sight of a magnificent mountain range? If the answer is yes, then this effect of exploring a new place can be an attribute to revitalize your mind and make you more creative when you travel.

Not only does travelling help with our creativity, but it also enhances our cognitive ability, sometimes referred to as general intelligence. This ability includes the capacity to “reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience” (Plomin, 1999). These attributes are all connected to travel. The more you travel, the wiser you become. Adam Galinsky , a professor at Columbia Business School has stated “Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms.”

The Benefits of Travelling Abroad: Travelling Enhances Your Tolerance towards Different People and New Cultures

Travelling is more than just about exploring new places. It also allows you to become more tolerant and open towards new cultures and people. It is a great opportunity to connect with locals and other like-minded people from around the globe. When you are willing to strike up a conversation with someone from a different background, the more you understand them and accept diversity, the better your tolerance level gets. Travelling teaches us to appreciate and value cultural diversity, traditions and appearances.

Not only does travelling help us embrace cultural, social and racial differences, travelling also increases our tolerance towards tough conditions and uncertainties. When we throw ourselves into an unfamiliar or less developed locality, we begin to become more accepting. It is not always a bed of roses everywhere we travel to, and things do not always go as planned, however, when we are aware of this, we get less bothered and enjoy the journey as much as we want.

Cabinzero’s CEO Neil Varden shared with us some stories about a time when he traveled to India - a country of hues and colors, and on top of all, a country of kindness. He was deeply touched by how friendly and greathearted local people were when he found out a notion followed in their mind, which is “Guest is God”. As he was travelling to Diu - a very small and unfamiliar town in India - on a bus, he happened to have a conversation with an Indian doctor. And since there was no direct bus to the town and it was very late at night, the doctor then invited him for a stay with his family for the night and offered him the surprisingly good generosity that he had ever received.

Another time when he was on a bus, and there was this Indian woman who offered him some biscuits when he was hungry, while she might not have enough to eat for herself and her children. Those are just among many warmhearted stories that he stumbled upon during his travel that made him realise one thing: you can really meet people who have almost nothing but still are generous with what they have.

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Is a Great Way to Boost Your Confidence

Neil also shared an example of how travelling can be a motivation for us to gain more confidence in ourselves and our passion. “Unbeknown to me, travelling when I was 22-26 changed my life long term, even today. The confidence gained by travelling to an unfamiliar country/culture gave me huge benefits when I started my business. I never had much fear knocking on doors of factories or visiting trade shows in countries I had never been to before. AND, for sure, my business and the brand would not exist if I hadn’t travelled. Since I travelled I spent all my time after trying to figure out how I could make travel a permanent fixture in my life and the business was built around this need, it is truly a lifestyle business.” - Neil Varden, CEO of Cabinzero .

Regarding this advantage of travelling, Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, an associate professor of education and psychology at the University of Southern California, says “What a lot of psychological research has shown now is that the ability to engage with people from different backgrounds than yourself, and the ability to get out of your own social comfort zone, is helping you to build a strong and acculturated sense of your own self.”

Stepping out of your bubble to travel, especially alone, is one way to prove that life has no limits. Travelling makes us realise that difficulties and obstacles can be handled well without the help of friends or family. When you see the powerful force within you, you start to build more trust in yourself and fear less. You believe in the certainty that things can be tackled one way or another, and it comes with the creative mind you get from travelling - nothing can stop you from achieving your passion and goals in life!

The Importance of Travelling: You Get Real-life Education from Travelling to a New Place

Real-life education comes naturally when you travel. Think about when you plan for a trip, when you solve a problem, or when you come across a situation that you have to use your body language to communicate. Those circumstances train you to be skillful as you travel. This benefit of travelling helps in your planning skills, problem-solving skills, improvising ability, and such. As you learn from your own experiences, these lessons are what you can equip yourself with and make use of in the long run.

What you learn in books is great, but travelling offers you the opportunity to learn more about something new every day. The moment you step out of those hotel doors and go out on the street, you learn at least one new lesson. Simple things like how people greet and talk to each other, how they behave tell you a bit about their culture. What’s more, travelling teaches you failures can turn into great hands-on lessons. It is true that travelling is not always glorious and can be hard at times. Let’s say the language barriers, for instance, it is surely possible to make mistakes with words here and there. Imagine going to the market and getting mixed up with the words for tomatoes and fish, this could be a bit embarrassing, but that’s where you get to learn.

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Make Memories from New Experiences

Do you usually take photos during your travel, or collect items like currencies or souvenirs after the trip? If not then we strongly suggest you to, as this is one of the benefits of travelling that could be valuable to you. Photos, or videos, that are taken from a trip, whether you keep them on your phone or post on social media, can remind you of the good time you have spent. Even an object you take home from the trip can really awaken your memories and feelings.

Memories from travelling are often connected with positive emotions, when you try something new, or the excitement you get from going to a new place that makes you feel at one with yourself and others around you. There are definitely times when you face unexpected obstacles on the journey, however, after you figure how to settle them, those memories are the life lessons that you have got a chance to learn.

If you travel in a big group, special memories from the trip can be turned into engaging stories that can last for a lifetime. When we travel, we are relaxed and open to show our true colors, which even adds more spices to the fun. This is the reason why travelling can be such a great bonding activity for families or groups of friends.

Why Travel is Good for You - How Travelling Helps You Understand Yourself More is Very Important

Travelling alone facilitates a process of introspection, allowing you to reflect on your own emotional and mental well-being. This is a wonderful benefit of travelling that you might not have thought of. When you are away from the stress of your daily life, be present and live in the moment, you are more likely to be conscientious about how you think and feel.

When you travel internationally, you get to observe how you feel being far away from your own culture. You observe the differences in people’s manners and behaviors, how people think and react to specific situations. From there, it is human instinct to compare the differences. You then start to explore and compare how it is different from your own culture and mindset, how other people are different from you, and why. Eventually, travelling will help in the process of understanding yourself more and give you a reflection on how you feel and think.

On the other side of this self-discovery process, travelling even changes you. You are not the same person after returning home from a journey. You have tons of intriguing stories to tell, you are more open and accepted. Moreover, travelling helps you reinvent yourself and re-evaluate your values in life after the lessons you learn on the road. Travelling teaches you to be more patient and curious about the world around you. This benefit undoubtedly helps in understanding and developing yourself.

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Helps Reduce Stress and Eases Anxiety

When you choose to leave your daily work to travel, you give yourself an opportunity to be more connected with nature. Fresh air and sunshine are a benefit to your health, fresh air boosts oxygen in your body and sunshine provides you with vitamin D. Being connected to these elements of nature makes you feel calmer, which definitely helps with stress and anxiety.

Whether you are a fan of hiking, cycling, climbing or diving, they are all a cure for depression while you travel. Fun and adventurous activities help you to relieve stress as you get to live and enjoy the moment. Leave your daily hassles away, pack your bag, go on a trip and get some air!

Why People Are Travelling - Travelling Gets You out of a Rut of Daily Life

Travelling is one of the great ways to get out of the hustle and bustle of your everyday life. It frees you from your daily schedule and allows you to have time for yourself to relax and explore. To some people, 9-5 jobs are occasionally mundane and repetitive, which makes a break from work totally a must. It is easy to get stuck in the workload and forget about our purposes and direction in life. Therefore, travelling gives us a pause from ordinary life and helps us get more focused on ourselves.

The Benefits of Travelling: World Travel Teaches Us to Appreciate the Beauty and Fragility of Nature and the Earth

If you ever wander off the rice terraces in the Philippines and Vietnam, dip in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, or fall in love with the cherry blossoms season in Japan, you definitely feel a great sense of appreciation and gratitude for what Mother Nature has offered. Travelling opens your eyes to the absolutely breathtaking wonders of the Earth, especially if you gaze upon them with your own eyes.

World travellers are people who have witnessed the diversity of nature and wildlife, and how fragile this Earth can be. Travelling is eye-opening and enriching our responsibility of protecting the planet that we are living on. It makes us realise that nature and animals are suffering from human activities and raises more awareness about our crucial role in developing a more sustainable future.

Why Is Travelling Important? Travelling Helps You Find a New Purpose and Forces You to Take Action

For some people, travelling can be a life-changing experience. If you are at an important transition in your life and thinking of making a decision, travelling is a breath of fresh air to slow things down and it gives you time to think it through. If you are looking for a purpose and direction in life, try planning a trip to unfamiliar surroundings and experiencing it as much as you can. What if you see a meaning out of it and figure out what you are looking for?

Believe it or not, travelling can turn you into a better decision-maker. Travelling is about decision-making in the whole process, from planning a trip, to deciding a place to eat, or where to go, you need to be determined and actively leading the way. If you are confident in making those little decisions, it will build up your determination in bigger decisions in life.

Travel Makes You Embrace Your Home and Ordinary Life More - One of The Advantages of Travelling

We often tend to dream of travelling and those days off hitting the road while we’re working 9 to 5. However, when we travel, there are certain situations that you may find yourself miss the feeling of home and how convenient it is to be in your own comfort zone. You will begin to appreciate the essentials you have at home when you travel. The feeling of a comfy bed and pillows at home may pop in your mind when you spend days and weeks sleeping in hostels or camping tents. You may miss your own bathroom when you share it with other travellers in dorms and hostels. Those are the little things that you will appreciate when you are back home from a long journey.

What’s more, the language barrier is another aspect that can make you miss home when you travel. Of course, during the trip, you might be able to use some basic communication with the locals and can pick up several phrases here and there. However, you will definitely miss the feeling of being able to join in a more in-depth conversation, discussing politics, or expressing your opinions at some point.

The Benefits of Travelling: You May Find the Love of Your Life When You Travel and Meet New People

“Could you find love on the road?” Yes, it is possible. You meet plenty of like-minded people when you spend days hitting the road. Someone who shares the same values and mindset as you might come along unexpectedly and suddenly you feel connected to them. Especially when you travel, you open your mind and heart to new experiences, therefore, falling in love with someone is very likely to happen.

Travelling can indeed bring people closer, which is why couples choose to spend time together on a vacation to spice up their relationship. But what about meeting a total stranger and falling head over heels unexpectedly, while strolling on the riverside or a random beach? That sounds more intriguing. That random stranger might just be a fling or can turn into the love of your life, who knows?

It caught my attention when you said that you can get helping reducing stress when you engage in fun and adventurous activities while you travel. As you said, traveling gives you an opportunity to be more connected with nature. With this in mind, I will consider finding great travel ideas so I can plan my vacation. Since December last year, I have been feeling so stressed due to the divorce process that I had to go through, so it is important for me to find places where I can feel recharged and relaxed. Thanks for sharing this. https://www.homegrowngreat.com/discover/attractions/

It’s great that you mentioned that one of the health benefits of travelling is that when we travel to new surroundings, we press a restart button to our body and mind, which brings in fresh energy when we get back to our regular activities. My husband and I will go on vacation to a family resort this weekend with our family. I’ll share this with him since we really need to travel more often and destress from work. Thanks! https://edgeofthewilderness.com/resort-lodging-minnesota-northern.html

Interesting article. So many reasons to travel!

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How Travel Can Help Us Process Grief, Trauma, and Anxiety

Whether we are healing from pandemic trauma, personal tragedy, or other mental or physical health challenges, travel has an ability to play a critical role in the recovery journey, research shows..

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Travelers detail the healing power of travel and of getting out into nature: here a coastside with evergreens

For one traveler, the beauty of the Oregon coast has offered a way to navigate grief.

Photo by Katie Musial/Unsplash

In February 2022, Adam Sawyer lost his whole world. A catastrophic fire burned down his house near Mount Rainier and claimed his partner’s life. In the year since, Sawyer has frequently set out into nature, often retracing the trails he walked—and journeys he took—with his late partner.

“I was purposefully going to places that she and I had traveled to together before. It seems like a means of self-flagellation, but it was also a way to really lean into the grieving process,” says Sawyer, who writes about travel and the outdoors . “I would go somewhere on a trail as far as I could go, and I would cry for as long as I needed to. In going to these places, it was a way of acknowledging the pain and acknowledging what I was going through and also bridging the gap sooner to get to where those memories were hopeful and pleasant.”

For Sawyer, traveling to places that were meaningful to him and his late partner, in addition to other “road trips to nowhere” or treks into nature (he’s been spending a lot of time driving up and down the Oregon coast, for instance, appreciating “the scenery and that zen of driving through pretty country”), has been an integral part of the healing voyage.

“Traveling to these places and trying to process those memories—when I do that, when I have those crying sessions, when I deal with the guilt in those places, it’s akin to getting it over with, like vomiting. I cried it out and I processed that and I understand what that memory means to me now and why I came here and I actually feel better,” says Sawyer.

Sawyer isn’t alone in having found some sense of hope or relief when traveling in the aftermath of trauma or tragedy. In July 2022, Hara Maderich was widowed after being married for 40 years “to the love of my life,” she says.

“Staring months ahead at a lonely Christmas and bereft New Year, I decided to go back to my solace, the ocean,” says Maderich, an AFAR reader who lives in Costa Rica. She booked herself and her best friend on a southern Caribbean Celebrity Equinox cruise over the holidays.

“New Year’s Eve was both spectacular and heart wrenching at the same time,” says Maderich. But, she adds, “realizing I was on a ship in the middle of the ocean, hearing live music, drinking champagne, and watching lasers and fireworks with tears streaming down was so much better than sitting home and crying alone.”

Maderich started 2023 with, quite literally, a new outlook—a breakfast view of a rainbow over Martinique “and a glimmer of hope that life going forward alone could be a new adventure with ports as yet unexplored.”

For many people, including Sawyer and Maderich, travel—escaping either to new or familiar places—can and does play a critical role in how they manage grief, loss, tragedy, trauma, mental health challenges, or physical health setbacks.

Waking up to a beautiful view of a new place can bring a fresh perspective on life.

Photo by Daniel Oberg/Unsplash

We’ve all been through a lot—travel can help

During the pandemic, at a time when many were experiencing the collective trauma and isolation of living through a deadly, global public health crisis, travel was one of the tools in the traditional coping toolbox that was made temporarily unavailable to us.

“Research has shown that there is a link between social isolation and loneliness to poor mental and physical health, which was then further exacerbated by the pandemic,” says Terry Randolph, a licensed professional counselor and chief program officer at Pyx Health , a female- and LGBTQ+-led telehealth service dedicated to helping those suffering from loneliness and isolation. “The pandemic rescinded the ability for [people] to physically escape their daily routines and responsibilities, leaving people feeling trapped and isolated. This ultimately impacted their mental health.”

For some, they were able to get an emotional boost just by thinking about the ways in which they might get away in the future. In August 2020, a survey of 263 U.S.-based adults commissioned by a coalition of travel companies revealed that 97 percent of people felt happier simply planning future travel .

And a small but growing body of research indicates that there are some very real mental and physical health benefits of travel that we can finally fully access again. A 2018 study conducted by a team of researchers in Austria who analyzed a group of 40 “middle managers” found that stress decreased and overall well-being improved for a period of 15 to 45 days after a vacation or getaway. One year later, a study published in the journal Psychology & Health concluded that higher vacation frequency reduced the odds of metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

“Traveling contributes to a happier and more fulfilled life, and it does more for our minds than simply giving us a break,” says Randolph.

The health benefits of travel

According to Randolph, there are “numerous lasting benefits travel can have on your mental state.” They include:

Lowered stress and anxiety: Travel provides a mental reset, which reduces your overall stress and anxiety levels.
Better relationships and connectedness: If you are lonely, traveling is a great way to form closer connections and stronger bonds with both your travel companions and new people you meet along your journey.
More creativity: Experiencing new cultures, food, and arts can broaden your perspective and open your mind to fresh ideas and ways of thinking, which can be applied to your work and home life.
Improved physical health: Often people are outdoors more when they travel and walk around new places to explore, which can improve their overall physical well-being.

In fact, the gains are so pronounced that in January 2022, Canada’s national parks service Parks Canada developed a program called PaRx that allows doctors to actually prescribe travel by way of a free annual pass to Canada’s national parks for patients who could benefit from time spent in nature.

The program “is a breakthrough for how we treat mental and physical health challenges,” Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Environment and Climate Change Minister who oversees Parks Canada, stated in a press release about the nature prescription program. “Medical research now clearly shows the positive health benefits of connecting with nature.”

Mountains beside Lake Louise at Banff National Park

Last year, Canadian doctors began prescribing time in national parks.

Photo by Jacky Huang/Unsplash

Learning from new people and new surroundings

As Randolph mentioned, it’s not just the beautiful places we visit on our travels that can calm and inspire the mind and body, but also the meaningful connections we make on our journeys that contribute to our overall well-being. Michael Brein, a social psychologist who specializes in travel, has interviewed thousands of people about their travels and the effects travel has had on them. He’s observed several significant takeaways in terms of the social connections we make when we travel.

When you travel “you extricate yourself from an environment that is pathological or [where] you’re totally immersed in your problems,” says Brein, who adds, “Let’s face it, when we’re at home in our everyday workaday lives . . . it’s not that fulfilling nor does it provide us with new ideas.”

According to Brein, one of the key benefits of travel is that it offers invaluable learning opportunities. When you travel “you are more curious and more open to new experiences … you learn to relate to people better because you have a need to interact with new people. And therefore you have an influx of new ways of looking at things.”

A January 2023 study published in the Journal of Transport & Health confirmed the important role travel plays in accessing “social participation” and the connections between that social participation and our overall health. The study found that when people didn’t have access to opportunities to travel beyond 15 miles from their home, they were more likely to self-report poorer personal health than those who did.

For Sawyer in Oregon, he acknowledges that while he often sets out on solo missions, travel also provides him with a crucial outlet for meeting and interacting with new people who can offer a distraction from his grief or a new perspective on life.

There are some times when “I also absolutely need other people. I will just go to some local dive bar wherever I’m at and just hang out and chat with the locals and just lose myself in them and their stories and what they have going on. And it makes for a wonderful diversion,” says Sawyer. He adds, “I felt some guilt over this early on, but it’s OK to compartmentalize a little bit to get through and have a normal day where you’re laughing with people, you’re enjoying dinner. You’re traveling for fun. And that’s also been a great relief, too. It’s OK for me to take a time out and go actually enjoy a place with other people.”

An escapist mindset

Red rocks at Grande Staircase-Escalante in southern Utah

Finding a much-needed break from reality in southern Utah

Photo by John Fowler/Unsplash

This past fall, when a dear friend of mine was going through the stress and trauma of losing her mother to rapid onset dementia, we decided to escape to southern Utah for a few days. We enjoyed a canyonland-filled hiking trip that offered her a small but meaningful break from the daily worries that had consumed her life. But even as we were able to find joy, awe, relief, and laughter among the stunning desert landscapes, we also knew this retreat was temporary and that whatever problems she faced would be waiting for her back at home.

While some might view travel as simply a means of running away from one’s problems, experts believe there is a notable difference between escapism and embracing a healthy attitude toward any escape.

“Escapism is defined as ‘a desire or behavior to ignore or avoid reality.’ During traumatic experiences, many people will ‘escape’ the situation mentally to avoid further stress,” explains Pyx Health’s Randolph.

Travel in and of itself is not the solution to our problems, and for many people travel can also be laced with additional stresses, fears, and anxieties . But depending on how we apply the knowledge and experiences we gain when we travel into our healing journeys, there is evidence to suggest that it can have a more lasting effect. And there are also ways in which we can integrate an escape-like mindset into our day-to-day lives—for instance, we can take staycations to parks and cultural landmarks close to home, or take mental breaks from our work lives by seeking new activities and experiences similar to how we would when we’re traveling (learn how to play tennis or join a local hiking group, for example)—to help re-create those benefits even if and when we cannot or do not want to travel.

“To transition travel from just a temporary fix to a more impactful one, you have to really be willing to incorporate lifestyle changes that promote less stress and anxiety,” says Randolph. “The daily use of activities that replicate the escapism effects of travel can help create lasting improvements to mental and physical health.”

The Healing Power of Travel: How Exploring the World Can Benefit Mental Health

by Katie Brenneman | Jul 12, 2023 | Lifestyle and Culture , Mental Health

The Mental Health Benefits of Travelling

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or stuck in a rut, it might be time to pack your bags and hit the road. Travel has been known to positively impact mental health , allowing individuals to break out of their comfort zones and experience new perspectives.

In this article, we’ll dive into how travel can promote personal growth, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being, featuring inspiring examples of travelers who have found healing through exploring the world.

The Science Behind the Mental Health Benefits of Travelling

Traveling is more than just a quick getaway from our daily routine. It can have a positive impact on mental health. Research shows that venturing to new destinations, embracing diverse customs, and challenging ourselves to expand our horizons can lead to remarkable progress in our overall well-being.

Below are some examples of how beneficial travel can be to both our physical and mental health:

How To Maintain Mental Health While Traveling

Reducing Stress and Anxiety

Travel is a powerful tool to combat stress and anxiety. Our brains thrive on new experiences, and travel offers a wealth of sights, sounds, and tastes to excite our senses. This triggers the release of dopamine and serotonin, natural chemicals that boost feelings of well-being and ease stress and anxiety.

While all forms of travel can do this, anywhere you can get outside and enjoy the fresh air is always good for the mind and body. Cruising on small and large boats is a great way to experience this. Not only can you enjoy being outside as you travel, but you can also take in the sights and enjoy the calmness of the ocean and the smell of clean ocean air.

Traveling allows us to break free from daily routines and responsibilities, providing a moment to relax and recharge. Going on a vacation is also a way to recharge if you feel drained.

5 Tips On Managing Travel Anxiety

Enhancing Creativity and Cognitive Flexibility

Traveling boosts our mental abilities, especially creativity and cognitive flexibility. By exposing ourselves to new cultures and experiences, our brains develop new neural connections, improving our creative thinking and adaptability capacity. Research by Professor Adam Galinsky of Columbia Business School shows that engaging in multicultural experiences enhances problem-solving skills and creativity.

Building Resilience and Coping Skills

Exploring the world exposes us to unfamiliar situations and challenges that require us to adapt and overcome obstacles. When this happens, we develop better emotional resilience and coping skills to help us in other areas.

Learning to navigate uncertainty, embrace change, and find creative solutions to problems will sharpen your senses and improve your overall mental health.

Boosting Self-confidence and Personal Growth

Getting out of your comfort zone is essential; traveling more often helps you do that. By forcing yourself to interact with new people, learn unfamiliar customs and explore new destinations, you develop confidence in yourself and your abilities. With each challenge overcome, you become stronger and more self-assured.

Fostering Social Connections

Frequent travels offer an opportunity to meet and form bonds with people from different backgrounds. These relationships can effectively reduce loneliness and augment empathy, instilling a sense of belonging in oneself. In addition, strong social connections lead to better mental health and increased happiness.

Real Experiences of Individuals Supporting Their Mental Health Through Travel

It doesn’t matter your professional background, likes, interests, or beliefs; travel is a great way to keep yourself grounded and give yourself the much-needed reboot it needs over the year. Here are a few examples of individuals who have experienced the same :

Jacintha Verdegaal , a regular traveler and the owner of a lifestyle blog called Urban Pixels says that “Even though I’m always busy when I travel, whether it’s sightseeing, taking photos, or just exploring a destination on foot, I know I’m the calmest and most relaxed when I travel.”

Valerie Wilson , a travel expert and owner of a highly visited travel website called Trusted Travel Girl , says, “If you allow it, travel has the ability to expand your mind in a way you never realized was possible.” After experiencing a difficult battle with Lyme disease for several years, Valerie admitted that traveling and interacting with the world around her gave her a new passion for life. She said, “I convinced myself to travel even when I wasn’t feeling well. It has brought me happiness, given me a purpose, and has made me a strong, independent woman.”

Dr. Tamara McClintock Greenberg , a psychologist, and author of Psychodynamic Perspectives on Aging and Illness , says that traveling is essential to promoting happiness and managing stressful situations. “It also helps us reflect on our personal goals and interests.”

Practical Tips to Incorporate Travel into Your Routine

Incorporating travel into a busy lifestyle can be difficult, but it’s possible. Here are some practical tips to help you travel without spending too much or sacrificing your work-life balance.

Make Use of Long Weekends and Holidays

Incorporating travel into your routine doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Making the most of long weekends and public holidays can help you plan short trips without compromising your work life. Keep an eye out for these dates on the calendar and try to make it a practice to yourself extended breaks throughout the year to unwind.

Combine Work and Travel

If your job allows for remote work or business trips, extend your stay and explore the destination during your free time. This way, you can experience new places without using up your vacation days or spending too much on transportation costs.

Plan Budget-Friendly Trips

There are a lot of options when trying to plan a vacation that doesn’t break your budget. Most of the time, if you can book your travel far in advance, you’ll avoid supply and demand pricing spikes and get a great deal on flights, hotels, and rental cars.

Another way to save money on your next trip is by opting for a road trip with a camping trailer or RV. Depending on how far you travel, fuel and groceries can still be significant savings rather than planning for airfare and hotel expenses.

Maintain a Secondary Residence for Snowbirds

For those with the luxury of owning a second home in a warmer climate, becoming a “snowbird” can be a great way to incorporate travel into your life. Spending the colder months in your secondary residence allows you to experience a different location. There are also ways to make snowbirding affordable , such as investing in an RV or a timeshare instead of a second home. This does wonders for your mental well-being during cold, depressing winters.

However, be sure to plan ahead and prepare your homes for the seasonal switch, such as winterizing your primary residence and ensuring your secondary home is ready for your arrival.

Embrace Weekend Getaways

You don’t always need a week-long vacation to experience the benefits of travel. Weekend getaways can be rewarding and provide a much-needed break from your daily routine. Look for destinations within driving distance and plan short, focused trips to maximize your limited time.

Understanding How a Healthy Lifestyle Influences Mental Health

Prioritize Travel for Your Mental Health

Traveling can be a great way to take some time off, explore new places and cultures, and find balance in life. With the proper planning and preparation, you can incorporate travel into your routine without sacrificing your work-life balance or going over budget while giving your mental health the care it needs .

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Self-Improvement

Why is Travel Important? Here Are 7 Important Benefits of Traveling

Wondering why travel is an important part of life here are the most impactful benefits of traveling, including health, happiness, and more.

As I write this, the world is in the midst of the second wave of the coronavirus crisis. Travel is far below the level it was at back in 2019, and it’ll be some time before it picks back up to pre-pandemic levels.

So, it feels a bit weird to write an article on the benefits of traveling and why travel is important.

But, travel will make a comeback. When it does, health and safety risks will remain. Many fair-weather travelers may be hesitant to return to the skies, roads, rails, and seas.

However, traveling is important and its benefits far outweigh the risks involved.

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Here are some of the most important benefits of traveling:

1. Travel Makes You Happier

Sure, a travel experience easily makes you happier by getting you away from your daily grind. And, if you can get away from your parents, kids, freelance work , pets, homework, piano lessons, part-time job , studying for exams or any other things possibly weighing you down, that will definitely put a smile on your face, to say the least.

However, travel makes you happier in another way, as well. According to a study by Amit Kumar, Matthew A. Killingsworth, and Thomas Gilovich from Cornell University, that money spent on doing something (called “experiential purchases”) will leave you with a longer-lasting sense of happiness than money spent on having something (called “material purchases”).

The study says that “waiting for experiences tends to be more positive than waiting for possessions.” And, it goes on to say that “people derive more happiness from the anticipation of experiential purchases and that waiting for an experience tends to be more pleasurable and exciting than waiting to receive a material good.”

Related Read : The Best Work-Life Balance Quotes to Know

2. Travel Lets You Disconnect & Recharge

One of the best things you can do for your mental health every now and again, especially as a busy college student with an evening job or a young professional working 12-hour shifts, is to disconnect in order to recharge.

Working or studying for days, weeks, and months on end may help get you where you’re looking to go. However, you deserve a break every once in a while from the chronic stress. If not, you may suffer from burnout, depression, anxiety, and a whole host of other problems and ailments.

If traveling to a foreign country or experiencing a different culture doesn’t sound like a true break from everyday life and its stressful situations, stay local or do a solo trip to someplace remote and serene. The important thing for your is to unwind. That’s a health benefit and travel tip all rolled into one!

3. Traveling Relieves Stress and Anxiety

In a randomized controlled trial conducted by Austrian researchers and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , one of the many great travel benefits is that it can reduce stress levels and anxiety.

The researchers found that even just one short-term vacation (~3 days in length) “independent of the mode, has large, positive and immediate effects on perceived stress, recovery, strain, and well-being.” Furthermore, the beneficial effects last quite a while after you return home. “The effects can still be detected at 30 days (recovery) and 45 days (well-being and strain) post-vacation.”

Just make sure the way you travel doesn’t cause you stress, either! If you have a fear of air travel or a disdain for family travel, go by rail or take a solo travel experience. The important thing is to break away from the chronic stress of everyday life in order to calm down and reset your mind.

Related Read : How to Set Goals You Will Actually Achieve

4. Travel Exposes You to New Things

When you travel, you are stepping outside your comfort zone, for one thing. Even if your destination is relatively nearby (across the country rather than internationally), you are still experiencing new things.

Mark Twain said it best in one of my favorite travel quotes:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

5. Travel Exposes Others to New Things

When you meet someone new, whether it’s in another town nearby or in a city halfway around the world, they also are meeting you. And, just as you’re being exposed to new foods, culture, languages, traditions, and so forth, they’re also getting a taste of yours. Just remember to be a good ambassador for your hometown, values, and beliefs!

When you visit a new place, meet new people, and learn about a new culture, whether through group travel or when traveling solo, the benefit to your life is immense, but it also benefits your friends, family, and other loved ones. Not only will you get to experience new things, but you’ll also bring what you learn back to your school, workplace, and hometown.

Related Read : 15+ Best Educational Podcasts to Listen to for Everyday Learning

6. Travel Makes You Physically Healthier

If you’re an active individual and asking why is travel important, there are some great benefits of traveling in store for you! From running through airports and train stations to make that tight connection to hiking through uneven terrain on your mountain climbing adventures to getting some vitamin D as you catch some rays on the beach, there are many reasons why travel is beneficial to your health.

According to a study by the Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, in partnership with the U.S. Travel Association, travel decreases the risks of heart attacks and makes your brain healthier. The study determined that men who take an annual vacation are 30% less likely to die from heart disease, among other findings.

7. Traveling Can Boost Your Creativity

Are you a student, artist, writer, photographer, chef, advertising manager, or video game designer struggling with coming up with your next great idea? Traveling can help! If you’re looking to reignite your creativity, head on to Kayak and start booking some international flight tickets.

“Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms,” Adam Galinsky, a professor at Columbia Business School, tells The Atlantic . Cognitive flexibility plays a major role in overall creativity, defined as the ability for a person to be able to entertain various ideas and viewpoints one after the other.

So, when it’s safe to do so, get back out there and travel.

You’ll improve your happiness and mood, get exposed to new things, strengthen your mind and body, remove stress and anxiety, and so much more!

Got any questions, feedback, or other great reasons why travel is important? Let us know in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

Related Read : 21+ Growth Mindset Quotes to Know for Success, Happiness & Fulfillment

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1. Traveling broadens your perspective.

2. It allows you to see the world from a different angle.

3. It helps you to learn new things.

4. It makes you more tolerant and understanding

It’s fascinating that you point out that traveling offers a great way to relieve anxiety. I’ve been having a lot of anxiety for the past three months because of my divorce, so I’m considering booking a tour of Europe this summer. I’m going to look for a good business that offers tours of Europe.

Love this Christian, it keeps me do travel multiple times a year. Thank you so much.

I am Ain from Malaysia. I’m looking for contents to be used on my school assignment about travelling and I found your website would be so helpful for me and my group members. In this assignment , we are required to choose our international destination. In this assignment , we are going to make a report paper and two products (brochure and presentation). This work won’t be published online. We would like to include flight ticket to our destination , foods , place to stay , transportation and more. So , here I would like to ask for your permission to use contents from your website. This is the link to the content that me and my group members would like / might to use:

https://www.goodwall.io/blog/benefits-of-traveling/

I hope you can approve my permission. That would be great for us!

Thank you very much & stay safe!

Your Privacy

Why Travel Is Good for Your Mental Health

Travel is great way to rejuvenate your mind..

Posted March 26, 2018 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

After graduating from college, I went alone and joined a three-week budget tour of Scandinavia. I probably matured more on that trip than in my four years of college, just by virtue of facing unfamiliar people and situations, which greatly helped some strong social anxiety I struggled with.

Our tour group itself came from all over: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, and more. As a “budget” tour, we had to sleep in tiny cabins and hostels and sometimes cook and clean our own meals together outside. The low point was when I got horribly ill from stomach flu at the top of Norway and endured walking back and forth several hundred feet from the small cabin to vomit in an outside bathroom with arctic winds blowing across the rocky, hilly tundra under the midnight sun.

Nonetheless, the experience made me grateful for little things afterward, like having an indoor bathroom or being able to hold down your meal. I also saw gorgeous and amazing art, architecture, seascapes, history, and ate the freshest seafood. I still remember the most delicious soup I’ve ever had, at the Finnish border: made of reindeer broth.

Afterward, I understood why some Australians apparently followed a cultural tradition of working temporary jobs for half a year to save up money to spend on traveling for the other half: living to travel.

While the practical reality of money, health, and job and family obligations certainly matter and affect people’s ability to travel, whenever possible, travel is a worthy and sometimes underestimated goal for our daily existence.

Americans reportedly often decline to take any eligible vacation time during the year and tend to overwork themselves. Still, several articles and studies have noted the significant psychological benefits of travel. Travel acts beneficially on multiple levels.

Travel disrupts your routine and introduces novelty to your brain, which improves cognition and helps reactivate reward circuits. You have to think about how to get through new neighborhoods, new transportation patterns, new customs, and rules.

Initially, such changes can be stressful and frustrating, as anyone who has dealt with minor annoyances like different toilets or trouble getting change back for large bills knows. But ultimately, your brain can benefit from being put on its toes; according to Brent Crane’s article in The Atlantic , the cognitive flexibility helps stimulate neuroplasticity. This, in turn, can help generate creativity that persists even when travelers return home and helps with innovative idea generation at their jobs.

Travel helps on an interpersonal growth level as well; seeing different people and cultures and encountering them directly as individuals and human beings opens yourself to becoming more tolerant and flexible about unfamiliar ways of life. Your sense of empathy can increase, which can help you feel better able to negotiate interpersonal issues back home as well. You can also learn and appreciate things to seek out and continue enjoying at home, like a delicious dish or a new genre of music.

Travel itself can be a break from stressors piled up back home; a literal escape where you can focus on your own pleasure and yourself can be a welcome change of pace, and help reduce your body’s stress hormone overdrive. Even when you return to stressors back home, the memories encoded by travel help maintain a “zen space” you can revisit whenever you need. Mindfulness techniques often recommend returning to a beautiful or peaceful memory to help restore calm and balance anywhere you are.

Overall, travel is a way to even temporarily provide the goal of living life for its own sake, apart from the drudgery of daily responsibility and routine. It helps with personal growth and appreciation, and can also benefit mood and intellect. If you have the means to build travel into your schedule, by all means, do so.

For a More Creative Brain, Travel . The Atlantic .

Jean Kim, M.D. is a psychiatrist and writer working in Washington, DC.

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A coin-operated telescope at Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington

Travel has been linked to greater happiness, empathy, and creativity. But science suggests even just thinking about a trip can give your brain a boost.

Here’s why planning a trip can help your mental health

Even during a pandemic, thinking about travel can make you happy.

With the pandemic far from over, now may not be the right time for leisure travel. But that doesn’t mean trip planning is canceled too. There’s some good news for globe-trotters: According to researchers, looking ahead to your next adventure could benefit your mental health. Even if you’re not sure when that adventure will be.

Some psychologists tout the mental benefits of vacationing somewhere new . One 2013 survey of 485 adults in the U.S. linked travel to enhanced empathy, attention, energy, and focus. Other research suggests that the act of adapting to foreign cultures may also facilitate creativity. But what about the act of planning a trip? Can we get a mental health boost from travel before we even leave home?

Scientists talk travel

Planning and anticipating a trip can be almost as enjoyable as going on the trip itself, and there’s research to back it up. A 2014 Cornell University study delved into how the anticipation of an experience (like a trip) can increase a person’s happiness substantially—much more so than the anticipation of buying material goods. An earlier study , published by the University of Surrey in 2002, found that people are at their happiest when they have a vacation planned.

Amit Kumar , one of the co-authors of the Cornell study, explains that the benefits are less about obsessing over the finer points of an itinerary than they are about connecting with other people. One reason? Travelers “end up talking to people more about their experiences than they talk about material purchases,” he says. “Compared to possessions, experiences make for better story material.”

( Related: This singer traveled halfway around the world to witness one breathtaking performance. )

Among the pandemic’s many challenges: quarantine measures greatly reduce our ability to create new experiences and connect with other people. And we’re craving those those connections and their social benefits more than ever.

Kumar, now an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, says that the social-distancing experiment the pandemic forced on us has emphasized how much humans—social animals that we are—need to be together. He even suggests replacing the phrase “social distancing” with “physical distancing,” which better describes what we’re now doing; after all, quarantine measures are designed to protect our physical well-being.

Managing emotional well-being is a different challenge. While we may not be as physically close to others as usual, we’re still able to interact with each other socially through voice and video chats. But you still need something to talk about—and plans for the future can serve as the perfect talking points for enhancing social relationships.

Kumar’s co-author Matthew Killingsworth, now a senior fellow at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, says trip-planning encourages an optimistic outlook.

“As humans, we spend a lot of our mental lives living in the future,” says Killingsworth, whose work centers on understanding the nature and causes of human happiness. “Our future-mindedness can be a source of joy if we know good things are coming, and travel is an especially good thing to have to look forward to.”

One reason Killingsworth thinks that planning travel can be such a positive experience? The fact that trips are temporary. “Since we know a trip has a defined start and end, our minds are prone to savor it, even before it’s started,” he says. “Sometimes people even prefer to delay good experiences like a trip so they can extend the period of anticipation.”

( Related: Is virtual travel here to stay, even after the pandemic subsides? )

There’s another reason travel planning can produce happiness: We often know enough about a trip to imagine it and look forward to it—but there’s also enough novelty and uncertainty to keep our minds interested.

“In a sense, we start to ‘consume’ a trip as soon as we start thinking about it,” Killingsworth says. “When we imagine eating gelato in a piazza in Rome or going water skiing with friends we don’t see as much as we’d like, we get to experience a version of those events in our mind.”

Planning during a pandemic

The post-pandemic future of travel is still unmapped. But Killingsworth recommends planning a vague itinerary (where to go, what to do)—without getting attached to taking the trip at any specific time. Then, start booking flights and hotels once experts say it’s safe to travel again. “If the experience becomes more stressful or depressing than fun, file it away for another time.”

Former clinical psychologist turned author Alice Boyes agrees the general approach is best for now, “like learning about a national park you want to visit.”

Related: iconic American destinations

Middle Fork Flathead River in Glacier National Park

While travel can be anxiety-inducing—especially in the era of COVID-19—Boyes suggests that trip-planning can be calming.

“If you’re anxious by nature, trip-planning can give you a sense of comfort and reduced anxiety,” she says. “For instance, I like to know exactly how I’m going to get from the airport to my hotel upon arrival in a foreign country. I like viewing the walking directions to places and using street view on Google maps, all in advance, so I have a good idea of what to expect and feel confident.”

“This virus can stop our travel plans, but it cannot stop our travel dreams,” says travel expert Rick Steves in conversation with the New York Times . Planning for travel—thinking about it, talking about it, imagining it—may in fact be the best thing you can do to stay optimistic and, when this is all behind us, be ready to embark on your trip of a lifetime.

Tips and tricks

Get inspired. No matter what kind of trip you’re longing to take, there’s a wide world of travel books to nourish inspiration. Try these great reads that whisk you away to paradise —or get excited to slow down and savor the journey .
Brush up on your trip-planning skills. New York Times ’ “Frugal Traveler” Seth Kugel visited 50 countries in six years; his book Rediscovering Travel: A Guide for the Globally Curious offers advice on how to channel the whimsy of global vagabonding. National Geographic’s 50 States, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do lays out the best travel experiences in every U.S. state, from the obvious to the unexpected.
Ask for help . Yes, people still use travel agents —and with good reason. Now called travel advisors, they can help find the best deals, arrange complicated itineraries, and juggle large groups or family vacations.
Gather some maps . Nothing illuminates a place or helps you plan a trip like a good map. National Geographic publishes hundreds of world, continent, country, and city maps and atlases.

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trends 2022

Travel as Healing

Wellness vacations now go far beyond massages and diet advice, instead offering a respite from physical and mental stress. Here’s what to expect.

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By Concepción de León

Before the pandemic, when Mary Calliste, 32, traveled, she would try to hit as many tourist attractions as she could. But in early December, Ms. Calliste, who works in the financial services industry out of Plainfield, N.J., went to Guatemala and stayed at an eco-friendly hotel called Lush Atitlán . There, she ate vegan meals, walked around the natural reserve and listened to music.

And loved it.

From now on, she said, “I see myself incorporating a lot more of my needs into my travel instead of what I can see.”

As the pandemic lingers into its third calendar year, it’s probably not surprising that travelers are increasingly looking to their vacations to work on their mental and physical wellness. In a recent American Express survey , 76 percent of respondents said they wanted to spend more on travel that improves their well-being, and 55 percent said they would be willing to pay extra for these services or activities.

That has hotels ramping up their wellness offerings, from outfitting rooms with Peloton exercise bikes to adding programs that address mental health. Hilton has created a program called Five Feet to Fitness , which includes an interactive kiosk with fitness tutorials and a gym’s worth of equipment in some rooms.

At Miraval Resorts & Spas locations, guests over the past year have come in “having experienced symptoms of stress that they, quite frankly, were unfamiliar with,” said Simon Marxer, the hotel group’s associate vice president for wellness offerings.

In April, Miraval partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to create Sensory Journeys , a meditation and soundscape series available for free on the Miraval website. It also introduced Journeys With Intention , a customizable wellness program that allows guests to choose from a selection of “journeys” according to their health goals. Among the offerings: self-connection, grief and loss, and mental well-being, as well as more standard spa, adventure and fitness programs.

“What we’re seeing, certainly in hospitality, is the need to serve really the whole person,” Mr. Marxer said.

Spas took a hit

Spas, with their focus on high-touch, one-on-one services like massages and facials, were hit hard last year. Hotel and resort spas experienced a 42 percent dip in revenues, while destination spas, which offer an immersive experience, were down 37 percent, according to a report by the Global Wellness Institute published in December. But the wellness industry has since begun a rapid recovery, the report said, projecting that the spa sector will grow 17 percent annually through 2025.

Still, the downturn forced hotels and resorts — and their guests — to expand their notions of wellness and what activities fall under that umbrella. Before the pandemic, a wellness trip was probably centered on a spa’s traditional services, said Caroline Klein, the chief communications officer of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, a luxury hotel group. Now, hotels may offer nature walks, meditation, yoga or any number of creative offerings.

In some ways, hotels are responding to the lifestyles that many people adopted at the height of lockdowns, including making home-cooked meals and taking virtual fitness classes.

“Hotels are really seeing people bring those new mind-sets, routines and preferences with them as they start to travel again,” Ms. Klein said. “What that creates is a definite shift in expectations and experiences that hotels need to cater to, because they’re not catering to the traveler from 2019.”

Emily Rossin, a spokeswoman for a hospitality group that includes the Ryder, a boutique hotel in Charleston, S.C., said that after seeing the surge in popularity of Peloton bikes during the pandemic, the hotel decided to make them an in-room option for guests.

“We noticed that people were still stuck in their habitual routines from when we were in lockdown,” Ms. Rossin said. “When they’re coming to stay with us, it’s within their same routine and they really don’t have to break that.”

Established wellness hotels are also benefiting from the boom. Alex Glasscock, a co-founder of the Ranch wellness retreat in Malibu, Calif., which offers hours of daily hiking and a vegan menu, has seen an increase in bookings, he said, notably from teenagers and young adults. It’s a significant shift from when he and his wife, Sue, started the company in 2010 and people were confused by the concept of a “luxury boot camp.”

“This is truly a mega-trend,” he said, adding that at the Ranch, “what we’ve noticed from the pandemic is that where people used to book two and three months in advance, now we’re full six months in advance.”

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We asked readers to tell us about the spots that have delighted, inspired and comforted them in a dark year. Here, 52 of the more than 2,000 suggestions we received, to remind us that the world still awaits.

Changing travel styles

What people want out of a vacation is shifting said Chris Kam, the president and chief operating officer of Omnitrak, a Hawaii-based research company that conducts regular national travel surveys. While travel has always been a reset, during the pandemic, “the travel experience transformed and became a place to heal — from mental, physical, spiritual stress,” he said in an email. “People travel for answers now about how to feel better.”

Shasha Du, 33, a founder and the creative director of Wild Awake , which organizes retreats for young people of color, said her travel style had changed. “I used to love traveling to cities a lot more,” she said. But looking back at that travel, which she said included a lot of shopping, Ms. Du realized that it “was enjoyable, but it was also not that fulfilling. It didn’t nurture my soul.”

In 2020, she designed two nature retreats for herself and her friends. And in November, she rented a barn north of Sacramento through Airbnb and, for the first time, signed up for an Airbnb experience: a tea-foraging event where she learned about the ancestral medicinal uses of many plants, some of which she’d been seeing all her life.

“It was just a different form of self-care, but I felt that it was really, really rejuvenating,” she said.

Feeling depleted by the pandemic, Ann Chen, 58, an English composition instructor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., recently booked a wellness retreat with a friend for June 2022 “as a way to keep going — find something positive,” she said. They plan to stay at Ojo Santa Fe in New Mexico, a wellness resort with thermal pools, meals sourced from local farms and a spa. They planned ahead for personal scheduling reasons, but also to give them time to research the area and understand its “culture, attitudes and beliefs,” Ms. Chen said. The idea, she added, was “to be soothed, to work on being calm, to work on eating good food.”

“This kind of resort is getting us back to more of a normal feeling in our lives, where we’re just not so stressed out by worrying about whether we’re going to live another day,” Ms. Chen said.

Industry experts say the wellness travel trend is here to stay. The United States accounted for nearly 30 percent of the global wellness tourism market in 2020, and the sector is expected to grow to $919 billion by 2022 from $735.8 billion in 2020, according to the Global Wellness Institute .

“This is where we were headed,” Mr. Marxer of Miraval Resorts & Spas said. “The pandemic has brought the future forward in an accelerated way.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list for 2021 .

An earlier version of this article misidentified a program that Miraval Resorts & Spas partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to create. It was Sensory Journeys , a meditation and soundscape series available for free on the Miraval website; it was not Journeys With Intention , which is a separate program created by Miraval.

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Concepción de León is a travel reporter based in New York. More about Concepción de León

Discover 10 Surprising Benefits of Travel for Your Mind, Body, and Soul

Travel is a powerful way to explore new cultures, meet new people, and gain a fresh perspective on the world. In this article, we’ll explore the many benefits of travel and how it can positively impact our lives. Whether it’s improving our mental health, broadening our cultural horizons, or providing valuable educational experiences, travel offers something for everyone.

The Benefits of Travel

Traveling can be a life-changing experience that provides numerous benefits for the mind, body, and soul. Indeed, it can enhance one’s life in many ways.

1. Enhanced Creativity

Traveling to new and unfamiliar places can spark creativity and inspire new ideas. Exploring different cultures, art, and history can ignite the imagination and lead to new perspectives. Especially, visiting art museums around the world will significantly boost your creation to another level.

Furthermore, travel provides a stimulating and novel environment that can help stimulate creativity. Whether it’s new sounds, smells, or sights, exploring different cultures can offer inspiration for creative thinking. Exposure to new languages, arts, music, and food can spark the imagination, leading to new innovations.

2. Better Mental Health

In fact, travel has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health. Traveling can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and provide a sense of happiness and fulfillment. Indeed, breaking free from routine, exploring new places, and engaging in new experiences can help reduce stress and improve mood. Also, new experiences and environments can refresh the mind and improve mental well-being. In fact, Norris on Medical News Today points out that tourism has the potential to positively affect well-being and quality of life through various factors.

Plus, travel can provide an opportunity for self-discovery and personal growth, leading to increased self-esteem and confidence.

3. Increased Appreciation

Appreciation is one of the top benefits of travel. Traveling can create memories and experiences that enhance one’s recognization and enjoyment of life and foster a deeper sense of gratitude. Truly, seeing new places and meeting new people can create lasting memories and a greater appreciation for the world.

4. Stronger Relationships

Traveling with loved ones or meeting new people while traveling can create stronger bonds and foster deeper connections. Shared experiences and memories can create lifelong friendships and strengthen existing relationships. Who knows if a special relationship can be formed after a trip?

5. Improved Problem-Solving Skills

Traveling can present unexpected challenges and opportunities to problem-solve. As a result, it can improve one’s critical thinking and decision-making abilities. Then, these skills can be transferred to other areas of life and lead to personal growth.

6. Fosters Interpersonal Skills

In fact, traveling requires stepping outside of one’s comfort zone. You have many chances to interact with new people from different backgrounds which helps develop interpersonal skills. Moreover, being exposed to different cultures, languages, and social norms can help foster a greater understanding of others and can promote empathy, communication, and collaboration.

7. Increased Adaptability

Traveling to new places requires one to be adaptable and flexible. As a result, it can improve one’s ability to handle change and new situations. To elaborate, you may wake up. This skill can be beneficial in all areas of life and improve one’s overall well-being.

8. Provides Learning Opportunities

Traveling can offer a wealth of learning opportunities, from history and art to science and technology. Exploring museums, landmarks, and cultural sites can provide an opportunity to learn about different aspects of the world. In addition, travel can offer hands-on experiences that can help solidify learning. For instance, learning a new language, trying new foods, or participating in local activities in new places.

9. Open More Chances of Earning

Traveling gives you the opportunity to meet professionals, learn new skills, and see new businesses along the way. Besides that, you can join conferences, and trading fairs in cities which give you more knowledge, and info, and expand your network. All of those things give you chances to have more income for your journey exploring the world.

Vietnamese people get benefits from traveling. For example, restaurant owners usually travel to other places and find good dishes that they can do in their restaurants. Good new foods always attract many customers. Additionally, construction engineers can learn from other architecture to improve their skills.

10. Promotes Personal Growth

Travel has the power to transform individuals, promoting personal growth and development. By exploring new cultures and perspectives, individuals can gain a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. Travel can also provide an opportunity to step outside of one’s comfort zone, overcome challenges, and develop new skills. In other words, traveling makes you smarter .

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is travel important to life.

Travel is important to life for many reasons. Firstly, it can help individuals broaden their perspectives, gain new experiences, and develop new skills. Secondly, it can promote personal growth and development and can help alleviate stress and anxiety, leading to improved mental health. Plus, travel can provide an opportunity for self-discovery, learning, and creativity. Finally, by experiencing different cultures, individuals can develop empathy, understanding, and appreciation for others. Travelers can also foster greater harmony and cooperation across borders and cultures.

What do You Gain from Traveling?

Traveling provides us with unique opportunities to learn, grow, and explore. Indeed, we can gain new insights into different cultures and traditions, challenge our assumptions, and make new connections.

What is the Value of Traveling?

The value of traveling is immeasurable. It can help us improve our physical and mental health, broaden our cultural understanding, and expand our knowledge and skillsets. Additionally, it can promote social connections and relationships.

There are so Many Benefits of Travel

Travel offers a wide range of benefits that can have a positive impact on individuals, communities, and the world. From physical and mental health benefits to cultural and educational experiences, travel can broaden perspectives, improve personal growth, and promote social connections. Travel can also stimulate economic development and promote environmental sustainability. As such, it is important for individuals to prioritize travel and make it a regular part of their lives. By doing so, they can reap the many benefits that travel has to offer.

The Broad Life introduces to you great, inspirational books for your wanderlust. They aren’t just simple travel, each book recounts the author’s journey to discover and learn many awesome things from new civilizations and places. > READ MORE: THE BEST TRAVEL BOOKS OF ALL TIME

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Khoi Nguyen

Khoi Nguyen builds The Broad Life with a desire to inspire people go exploring the world and live a more interesting, experience, and adventurous life. This blog shares the stories, pictures, and experiences at destinations where he has traveled to.

26 Comments

Wow, what an amazing post about the benefits of travel! I couldn’t agree more that traveling is not just a way to explore new destinations, but it also has a significant impact on our mind, body, and soul. Your post perfectly highlights the positive effects that traveling can have on our mental health, such as reducing stress, increasing creativity, and boosting happiness. Thank you for sharing this valuable information with us.

Thank you a lot for your comment! I’m glad that this post brings value info to you.

Stephanie Grillo

Travel is such a wonderful way to open our minds to new things. The list of benefits of traveling in this article make me want to hop on a plan and experience all of these.

I’m sure there are so many things for you to enjoy from traveling.

thewelltraveledchild

Travel is my soul! We travel the world as a family and the connections and relationships we have formed from it are so significant. Best form of school for my kiddos!

Absolutely! I take my family to many places and we discover the world together.

Nicole bertrand

As someone who loves to travel, I can say that all of these benefits ring true. Great post!

Thanks for your comment!

Gervin Khan

I’ve agree with this, by traveling we recover and recharge our well-being! That’s why we don’t build material things rather than experience! An awesome article to read! Loved it!

Thanks a lot for your comment! Traveling truly brings us more than we can expect.

I love travel so much too! Much harder these days with kids as it requires more planning. Lol!

Haha, you can think of a local resort where you can spend time with your kids easier while you are able to discover the area’s attractions.

Moments Inspire

All of this is so true. I love travel alot and always feel these effects but never took the time to connect the two.

It’s always needed for the first experience then you will have the next ones continuously.

Share to Inspire blog (@pacioalita)

I couldnt agree more with these reasons why someone should travel. Its good for our mind body and soul. I wish I can travel more often.

I hope you can travel more often.

I agree with all of this!!! My life (and me as a person) would be drastically different if I didn’t have all my travel experiences.

So good to hear you sharing! Traveling truly brings us so many special experiences and changes.

Ntensibe Edgar

Ah yes! Increased appreciation of what you have and more learning opportunities are my biggest wins from travel. Reminds me of my first time travelling to Tanzania; I was blown away by what I found there.

That’s the best part of traveling!

Fransic verso

It’s definitely good for mental health and help to learn more. These are spot on things that can help you to improve.

Life With Sonia | Women Empowerment Blogger (@lifewithsonia)

I agree to all. Travelling gives me a sense of freedom. Yes, you are right, it does help with problem solving skills too because you get to meet different people in different culture. I really enjoy traveling..i can’t wait to travel again.

Enjoy traveling!

Neely Moldovan

I love this! Travel is so good for your soul! Just even to refresh you!

Definitely!

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The Top 12 Benefits of Traveling Abroad

From a boost in emotional, physical, and mental health to simply making new friends worldwide, here are a dozen benefits of traveling abroad!

As the saying goes, “Travel is the only thing that you can buy that makes you richer.” We all know that there are many emotional, physical, and mental health benefits of traveling. It offers a much-needed way to break out of your regular routine and is the perfect way to decompress. You can reduce your stress levels and improve your immune system, not to mention make you physically stronger! However, the benefits of traveling abroad run much deeper than that. It allows you to see things from a different perspective. It often gives you the chance to take a step back and look at personal or professional problems from a whole new set of angles.

When traveling abroad, all of these benefits are amplified exponentially. Sure, it may be stressful at first getting to a new country where you don’t speak a lick of the foreign language or understand how things work. However, you would be surprised at how quickly you learn to adapt. You can start reaping the benefits of international travel from the moment your flight touches down in a new destination.

Explore the World with Let’s Roam

With thousands of scavenger hunts in destinations all over the world, Let’s Roam is the perfect place to start your international adventure! Our expertly-designed scavenger hunts serve as a great introduction to a new city and can help you find the top tourist spots and the destination’s hidden gems. We also have an extensive library of destination guides, must-see lists, and travel articles on the Let’s Roam Explorer blog . These have all been written by our team of in-house travel experts who can get you insider advice and lots of useful travel tips .

The Advantages of International Travel

I know that traveling can be uncomfortable, disheartening, exhausting, and expensive. But it’s so much more than sitting on the beach in Florida or going to Disney World. There’s a whole world out there where you can learn new things, meet new people, and gain an understanding of why the world is the way it’s. We are lucky enough to live in a time and place where traveling abroad is relatively accessible, especially if you happen to hold a strong passport. Take advantage of this as much as possible. We promise that when you’re old and grey, you aren’t going to regret the sofa or the handbag that you didn’t buy. But you’ll regret the trips that you didn’t take and the adventures that you never had!

If you’re still not convinced that traveling can have many unexpected benefits, check out the list of the many advantages of traveling abroad below. These are based on my own, as well as fellow travelers, personal experiences.

Disclaimer : This article is not being written by AI or by a young intern that has barely left the country. I have been a full-time traveler for four years, have been remote working for three years, studied abroad multiple times in college, did my Master’s degree in Prague, and have been an ex-pat for close to a decade. I have traveled to some of the world’s “toughest” countries. I know that traveling can be extremely challenging. But I also know that it can be endlessly rewarding if you lean into it and let the world be your oyster!

1. Traveling teaches you about the world.

Traveling is by far one of the best forms of education. While it’s wonderful to watch documentaries on foreign countries or historical sites, practice a new language with Duolingo, or read about faraway lands, there’s nothing quite the same as experiencing it all for yourself.

When you travel, you learn more about the history, the cultural aspects, and the language of a location. What you learn may completely dispel ideas that you had about a place and it can also reinforce things that you have learned. Regardless, it will definitely impact the way that you think and feel about the world around you.

2. It gets you out of your comfort zone.

There’s a very high chance when you’re traveling internationally that you’re going to encounter people from different cultures and walks of life. They are likely to speak other languages, have slightly different values, have different customs and traditions, and follow different religions. You may find yourself extremely confused by what is going on around you and feeling way out of your comfort zone.

Don’t panic when this happens. It’s actually a really good thing! Getting out of your comfort zone may be intimidating, humbling, and humorous (often all rolled into one!). It’s also a great learning experience and a unique way to change your perspective on a group of people or a particular place.

3. You learn how to learn quickly.

If you’re the type of person that loves to analyze a problem thoroughly and are often slow to come to a decision, traveling abroad will quickly change that. When you’re traveling internationally, you’ll often find yourself in situations where you have to problem-solve quickly.

Let’s say that you’re supposed to be taking a train between Rome and Florence but there’s suddenly a train strike. You can get a bus between the cities, reroute your trip, or delay your departure. There are many different options but you have to be able to decide at a moment’s notice what you should do next. You hop on the internet for a few minutes and figure out what is the best thing to do moving forward.

4. You learn how to trust your gut instinct.

As mentioned above, you have to make a lot of quick decisions when you travel abroad. At first, you may be a little worried that you’re making the wrong decision and keep thinking about the “what ifs?”. However, much of the decision-making that you do in these situations is based on your gut instinct. This feeling in your stomach helps you decide what to do next; almost all travelers will tell you that you must listen to it.

Your gut instinct not only helps you make quick decisions but it also helps keep you safe. If something doesn’t feel right, it most likely isn’t and you need to get out of that situation. Your body is trying to tell you something. When you learn to trust what your body is telling you, it helps make you more confident not only when you’re traveling abroad but also when you’re at home.

5. International travel exposes you to new things.

Have you ever pictured yourself eating fried bugs at a street market in Thailand? Or trekking up Table Mountain in South Africa? Traveling abroad can expose you to new situations, new foods, new languages, and new adventures that you never would have imagined having direct contact with.

Depending on where you go, international travel can also expose you to poverty and squalor that you never even imagined possible. It can show you how incredibly cruel the world can be if you happen to be born in the wrong place and at the wrong time with the “wrong” skin color or the “wrong” passport. While this can be incredibly heartbreaking to see, it can also open your eyes to what different people in the world endure. It shows the strength of people. It can be much more inspirational than a Hollywood actress or a social media star.

6. It helps you expand your bucket list.

For better or worse, once the travel bug has bitten you, you may find yourself with an ever-expanding bucket list. Every item that gets checked off has five more added in its place. You find your sense of wanderlust growing and the more you see, the more you want to see.

Traveling internationally teaches you so much about the world that you’re very likely to keep wanting to see more of it. While this can end up making your love of travel turn into a very expensive habit, it will light a fire in you to keep exploring. Since traveling is known for keeping you young, this is definitely what we call a win-win!

7. Traveling can be extremely uncomfortable.

As I said earlier, traveling is uncomfortable in so many ways. Airline seats are tiny and buses are cramped. People may stare at you because you look different. They may even laugh at you when you can’t communicate in their language. You may be wondering how in the world any of this can actually be beneficial to you. But you know what? All of these moments when you are uncomfortable teach you something and give you a new perspective, not just on the world around you but also on your place in it.

Imagine being stuck on a hard wooden seat on a rickety bus for hours on end in a dusty stretch of “road” in Africa. A small child who you have never seen before is sitting on your lap. Your spine and teeth feel like they are about to shatter from the never-ending potholes and your knees feel like they will never work again after hitting the seat in front of you over and over again. Yet, you look around at the fifty other people on the bus who should be just as miserable as you’re but aren’t letting it bother them. They are smiling and laughing, sharing food with one another, and collectively teasing you as the solo foreign traveler. They are making the best of a tough situation. They are being kind to one another even if it doesn’t benefit them. Now imagine if you were in that same exact situation in your home country. How would people act then?

In those hours stuck on that painfully uncomfortable bus, you learned new ways you can contort your body that you never thought possible. You have learned about the landscape that you’re traveling through. You may have even learned a few new words in a local language! You have also likely begun to understand what people in other parts of the world go through when they travel from one place to another and how challenging life can be for them.

8 . It looks great on your resume.

Ok, so maybe you wouldn’t want to put that you once went to Italy and ate pizza on your resume and think that it will be the thing that lands you your dream job. But, what about if you had studied abroad? Or did a volunteer project in a foreign country? Being able to live, study, and work in a completely different environment shows employers that you’re capable of learning new things quickly. It can also help you stand out amongst other job applicants who have similar qualifications and work experience but that haven’t ventured outside of their home country.

On the plus side, if you get hired for a position by a hiring manager that values your international experience, it also tells you a lot about the company and even your future boss. They value the unique experience that you bring to the table. They may even allow you to work more remotely from different parts of the world and support your desire to travel. If you’re lucky enough to find a boss like that, they are worth their weight in gold!

9. Traveling can improve your time management skills.

There are some of us that are perpetually late. Even if we leave our house early, we still end up where we are going a few minutes behind schedule. (I am extremely guilty of this. I honestly have no idea where the time goes) Traveling internationally is a great way to learn how to reduce this perpetual tardiness and improve your time management skills for a variety of reasons.

When most people travel abroad for the first time, they want to see as much as possible in a short period of time. They look at maps, check and recheck the opening times of attractions, look at public transportation schedules, and slowly build an itinerary that incorporates as much of their travel wishlist as possible. Trip planning is the perfect way to practice time management since it’s something that you really want to do as opposed to school work or work-work, it gives you an extra incentive to figure out how to fit everything in. It also gives you the incentive to make sure that you’re always on time for things.

It can also improve your time management skills by holding you accountable for being late. If you’re a few minutes late for a train or bus, it’s going to leave without you. You either have to buy a new ticket for the next one or forgo that part of your trip. Once that happens a few times, you learn pretty quickly how to budget for enough time to get to a destination. You also know what things to keep in mind when it comes to getting from one place to another.

For example, I once missed a flight because a co-worker and I couldn’t find the entrance to a tiny New Zealand airport. (In my defense, this was the time before smartphones) Who would have thought that it would be so hard to find? I have almost missed trains because I went to the wrong train station, couldn’t get a taxi, or went to the wrong train track.. Trust me, once you do this once you’ll never make the same mistake again!

10. You have new friends all over the world.

Variety is this spice of life and this couldn’t be more true when it comes to friendships. Hopefully, most of us know by now the value of being friends with people from all walks of life. Having friends with different educational levels, family backgrounds, etc, can help you understand why other people do different things. You can learn more about why people value different things.

While this is already hugely beneficial when you’re living in a melting pot like the United States, it becomes even more life-changing when you start developing friendships with people in different countries all over the world. Despite language barriers and socioeconomic differences, you can learn about a different way of life. You can try new activities and new cuisines while absorbing your new surroundings. You may keep in touch for days, weeks, months, or even years after this experience. Some of these friendships may go on to last just a few weeks while others may last a lifetime.

If you’re new to a destination and want to make friends but aren’t sure where to start, why not download one of Let’s Roam’s app-based scavenger hunts ? These fun-filled hunts are a great way to learn about a destination. And, they can give you an opportunity to talk to those other travelers that you saw at the hostel or sitting near you at lunch!

11. You can improve your immune system.

While many people associate traveling with things like Delhi belly and Montezuma’s revenge, I have personally found in my travel experience that traveling abroad has actually improved my immune system. Being exposed to a lot of different types of bacteria and viruses has enabled me to fight off illnesses much more easily than I was able to before. Research has even shown that once you get back from an international trip, your immune system is actually richer than it was before which means that it will be even better at fighting germs and bacteria. Travel truly is the gift that keeps on giving!

12. It will make packing a breeze.

We know that many people truly dislike packing. You’re always wondering if you have forgotten something, whether you packed too much, and so on. If so, you’ll be happy to know that traveling abroad extensively helps make packing a breeze!

The reason behind this is that the more you travel, the easier it’s to pack. You know what shoes work well with cobblestones, and what clothes can be worn in a multitude of ways. You know what toiletries you need and which ones you can buy. You have the perfect travel checklist on hand. Packing becomes second nature to you and you’ll never find yourself wondering what you forgot!

So, are you ready to roam?

We hope that this extensive list of the advantages of traveling abroad and the impact it can have on your personal growth has left you inspired to hit the road. No matter what parts of the world you decide to travel to, there’s always something new to learn, see, and do! As always, we would love to hear your feedback. Please let us know if there are any other great benefits of travel that we may have missed!

If you would like to learn more about different travel destinations, make sure to head over to the Let’s Roam Explorer blog. This blog is packed full of hundreds of great destination guides, must-see lists, and travel articles. Each of these is written by our very own team of in-house travel experts and it’s designed to help make planning your next trip a breeze!

Frequently Asked Questions

Some of the most important benefits of traveling abroad are an increase in problem-solving skills, the ability to thrive outside of your comfort zone, and the chance to pick up new foreign language skills.

For many people, traveling abroad gives them the chance to step outside of their comfort zone, practice foreign language skills, and learn more about a different culture or country.

Traveling internationally can be expensive, uncomfortable, and time-consuming. However, the benefits of traveling abroad certainly outweigh any of the negative aspects of it!

Traveling abroad can often be intimidating, due to all the new experiences. That’s why it can be a good idea to download a travel guide app or even try out some curated global scavenger hunts !

In some ways, traveling internationally can be very difficult. That’s why it’s wise to follow a travel app or do some research on a traveling blog .

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Why Traveling Abroad is Important

by Munira Maricar - Last updated on April 13, 2023

Travel Inspiration
General Travel

Traveling abroad can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. We can’t stress the importance of travel enough—it can open your eyes to new cultures, perspectives, and ways of living, and can help you grow and develop in ways you never thought possible.

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Where will your travels take you?

There are so many reasons why traveling is important, but above all, it is a valuable experience that can help you grow and develop as a person. Whether you're looking to learn a new language , make valuable connections, or simply have an adventure , traveling abroad is an experience you will never forget .

12 reasons why traveling abroad is important

1. personal growth and development.

Traveling to a foreign country can be a challenging and transformative experience . This is a big reason why travel is important.

Being thrust into a way of life completely different from what you know back home can push you out of your comfort zone, help you develop new skills, and give you a sense of independence and self-reliance. It can also help you gain a better understanding of yourself and your place in the world.

2. Cultural understanding

Traveling abroad allows you to experience different cultures firsthand. It can help you gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world and the people in it. It can also help you become more open-minded, tolerant, and accepting of different ways of life, and you will return home practically a new person!

3. Career opportunities

Traveling abroad can also have many benefits for your career . It can help you develop new skills, make valuable connections, and gain a better understanding of international business and politics. Additionally, the experiences you gain abroad will make you stand out from other candidates and can be an asset in your future job search.

As the world becomes smaller and more globalized, top companies are always prioritizing candidates with valuable international experience . A meaningful trip abroad can be vital in making you stand out from the crowd when you start applying for your dream job.

4. Language learning

Another key benefit highlighting the importance of traveling abroad? The great opportunity to learn a new language .

Traveling abroad means making connections and meeting friends you’ll keep for life.

Immersing yourself in a foreign culture and speaking the local language can help you pick up new vocabulary and grammar, and also help you develop your listening and speaking skills. Being able to converse in more than one language will give you a leg up in many future opportunities, and you can also expand your social circle by making lifelong friends from diverse places.

5. Improved mental health

Traveling abroad can also have a positive impact on your mental health . It can help you reduce stress and anxiety and also can offer a sense of adventure and excitement. Additionally, being in a new place can help you disconnect from your everyday life and give you a chance to relax and recharge.

Many companies now include paid gap years and increased paid time off for employees as they have recognized why it's important to travel and how important traveling is for people to stay at the top of their game at work. Traveling is also a great way to prevent burnout—it cleanses your brain and allows you to come back a stronger and more focused person.

6. Lasting memories and experiences

This is one of the top reasons why traveling is important! Traveling abroad gives you the opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime. From the new foods you will eat to the people you will meet and the places you will visit, every experience will be unique and special. Imagine the stories you’ll be able to share when you get back!

7. Enhanced creativity

If you’re an artistic person like a painter or musician, traveling abroad can help to enhance your creativity . But even if you’re not, just being in a new place and experiencing different cultures can inspire new ideas and ways of thinking, which can be beneficial in both your personal and professional life.

This highlights the real importance of travel for everyone: You will learn to see the beauty in places you never thought to look before, and develop ways to appreciate the little things in life!

8. Appreciation of diversity

You can read as many travel articles as you want or watch documentaries and videos from the comfort of your own home, but traveling to different parts of the world can give you the chance to appreciate the diversity of the human experience. So—why is it important to travel? You will be exposed to different customs, traditions, and ways of life, which can broaden your perspective and help you appreciate the world in a more holistic way.

9. Enhanced problem-solving skills

person writing on paper while pointing at map

Figuring out how to get from point A to point B is just one skill you’ll learn while traveling abroad.

Improving your problem-solving skills is a big reason why it's important to travel. When you are in a new place, you will have to deal with unexpected situations , and this can help you develop the ability to think on your feet and make quick decisions. You’ll need to be resourceful and make the best out of situations no matter what, and there’s no better way to challenge yourself than by venturing abroad into the unknown!

10. Increased knowledge

Traveling abroad can also increase your general knowledge about the world, which is always a good thing! How many times have you felt secondhand embarrassment from those videos where people can’t seem to point out famous countries on a map? That will never be you when you travel . You will be exposed to different cultures and customs, which will give you a deeper understanding of the world's history, politics, and geography.

11. Networking

You’ll widen the potential to create connections with some of the most interesting people in the world when you travel! You will meet people from all walks of life, and this can be a great way to build professional and personal relationships.

You might meet someone today who will be instrumental in helping you out five or 10 years down the line. With social media, there’s no limit from distance when it comes to friendships and connections, so traveling is a great way to fill up your digital Rolodex with the coolest people ever.

12. Inspiration for future goals

Finding a source of inspiration for your future goals is a major reason why traveling is important. Seeing different places and cultures can help you discover new passions, and this can help you choose new endeavors and set aspirations for your future.

5 important types of travel to try out

1. study abroad.

Why it’s important: Studying abroad will take your academic experience to the next level. Simply put, studying abroad is a period of time (perhaps a semester or year) during which you pursue your academic interests abroad. This can be done through a program at your own institution or through a separate study abroad organization that works in conjunction with your school or degree program. You may also have the opportunity to study abroad in high school even though most people do it in college!
Recommended program: TEAN - Australia - Bond University, Gold Coast
Explore all study abroad programs

2. Volunteer Abroad

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Make a difference for people and the planet by volunteering while you travel.

Why it’s important: There's no doubting that as a society, we've moved into a time where the desire to do good for humanity and the planet is more relevant than ever. Volunteering abroad mostly benefits the host community rather than you—remember the point is to make a difference in the country you go to. The work you conduct while on placement will have an influence on your host country for a long time if it is done correctly, ethically, and sustainably, and can be a key reason why travel is important in the grand scheme of things!

Recommended program: Women’s Empowerment Volunteering in Cambodia
Explore all volunteer abroad programs

3. Gap Year

Why it’s important: Searching for the ideal harmony between travel and enlightenment? Then a gap year might be just the thing you need . It will be time well spent, whether it's a year off between high school and college or after graduation, or even a break while you’re employed. Programs for gap years are full of chances for growth on a personal level, acquiring new skills, reevaluating personal and professional objectives, and experiencing once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
Recommended program: Seamester Study Abroad and Gap Year Voyages
Explore all gap year programs

4. Intern Abroad

Why it’s important: As an international intern, you’ll gain real-world experience at a foreign firm or organization while participating in study abroad activities and earning college credit. Interning abroad has several advantages , chief among them the extraordinary personal and professional development that comes with the experience. Internships abroad also provide flexibility. There are hundreds of placements available in dozens of disciplines for international internships, whether you want to change careers, you’re still in college, or you’ve just graduated (or are about to graduate). So, why is it important to travel and intern abroad ? You'll experience life-altering adventures and meet a ton of new people!
Recommended program: Internships and Volunteer Programs in Africa
Explore all internship abroad programs

5. Work Abroad

Why it’s important: Programs that allow you to work overseas are a terrific opportunity to earn more than money. The benefits are nearly endless : a challenging new environment, increased freedom, new friendships (and business connections), the addition of a new language to your toolkit , and the chance to advance your professional aspirations. Your employment overseas won't even seem like work; rather, it'll feel more like one wild—and paid!—adventure because you'll be having so much fun overcoming new obstacles and enjoying new experiences.
Recommended program: Jobs and internships in Spain
Explore all work abroad programs

Our Online Advisor can match you with 5 programs abroad—it’s free!

Why travel because you’ll be living your best life, that’s why.

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Get out there and learn the importance of travel for yourself!

So in conclusion— why is travel important ? Traveling abroad is not only an exciting and enriching experience, but it also has many benefits for personal growth and development. From enhancing creativity and problem-solving skills to increasing knowledge and networking opportunities to giving you inspiration for future goals, the reasons why traveling is important are numerous.

Travel is an experience that all who have the opportunity to do so should embrace. Now that you know the importance of traveling, you’re ready for an experience you will never forget.

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Brain Health

7 Ways Traveling is Actually Good for Your Health & The Earth

Did you know that travel is good for you?

It is! And it’s good for you in real and scientifically studied ways.

In fact, research indicates that traveling can improve your brain function, boost your heart health, improve your physical activity, turn on your creativity, and help you to be happier , to name a few health benefits.

And if you add eco-travel into the mix, you can experience the feel-good hormones that come from doing something positive for others .

As travel begins to open up with more vaccinations rolling out, it’s a great time to contemplate the benefits of traveling and how it is good for your health.

Let’s explore!

7 Benefits of Traveling for Your Health & The Earth

Why Traveling is Goo for You | Benefits of Traveling | BrainMD

Traveling to new locations is good for your brain. According to adjunct professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Paul Nussbaum, traveling can stimulate your brain and spur the growth of new connections within its cerebral matter. There’s a link between new experiences and the formation of dendrites, which are the branch-like extensions that grow from brain neurons.

Dendrites help to transmit information between different regions of the brain. When you have a greater number of dendrites, your brain functions better, especially its memory and attention.

When you come up against an obstacle or problem in traveling, and your brain is forced to focus on the situation to create a solution, that act both boosts dendritic growth and tests your problem-solving skills.

The newness is key. When traveling to a new location, your brain is challenged to make sense of new stimuli. Add a foreign language and your brain cognition sharpens even more!

Heart Health

Travel can reduce your chances of heart health problems.

A study conducted by The Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, in partnership with the U.S. Travel Association found that women who vacationed every six years or more had a significantly higher risk of developing a serious heart issue compared with women who vacationed at least twice a year.

And for men, if they didn’t take an annual vacation, they were shown to have a 20% higher risk of death and about a 30% greater risk of death from a heart health event.

Stress Relief

Travel has been shown to relieve stress , and that stress relief appears to continue even after you return home.

One study showed dramatic reductions in stress for corporate middle managers who took a vacation for just four days and the stress relief lasted four to six weeks after they returned.

When you consider that stress may play a role in 60-80% of primary care visits, stress relief is super important to your overall health. With that statistic in mind, travel takes on increased importance for your health.

Increased Physical Activity

Another factor contributing to the heart health benefits of travel may be the increase of physical activity that often goes with it. In fact, research shows that substantial physical activity may accompany active travel.

Physical activity increases even more if you adventure travel. People of all ages can build trips around physical activities, whether that’s hiking , mountaineering, rock climbing, scuba diving, surfing, skiing, golfing, or a simple walking tour. The possibilities are endless.

But even with simple exploration, sightseeing, and visiting local attractions, you’ll likely be walking greater distances, which is wonderful for both mental outlook, your brain, and your body.

Boosts Creativity

There’s a well-documented link between multicultural traveling and creativity. Exposure to other cultures presents a person with new ideas, concepts, and ways of seeing the world. This kind of exposure expands your mind and facilitates the flow of creative energy.

Of course, engaging in creative pursuits helps us to feel a greater sense of well-being , and reduces stress and anxiousness.

Increased Happiness

With all that physical activity, better cognition, and creative thinking resulting from travel, is it any wonder that travel makes us happier? This was reflected in a survey of 500 people conducted by Washington State University earlier this year. It showed that people who regularly take trips are happier than respondents who rarely travel.

Yet, it may come as surprise to learn that even thinking about travel makes us happy. A Cornell University study explored how thinking about an experience such as a trip can increase a person’s happiness even more than the anticipation of buying material goods. Another study found that people feel greater well-being and happiness in anticipation of a holiday.

Eco-travel Benefits Well-Being and the Earth

Eco Lodge Traveling Benefits for the Earth | BrainMD

For example, in the Amazon Rainforest, there are several ecolodge, adventure travel options. The income from these operations can help restore rainforest areas and support local communities, helping them to refrain from rainforest destructive practices such as gold mining, logging, and slash and burn agriculture.

Knowing you’re making a difference by helping others and the earth can help boost your own mental well-being. It’s a win for all involved.

Time to get planning! Better health and new adventures await.

At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD .

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Benefits of Travel: 14 Things Travel Teaches You

We travel for different reasons, in different ways, and to different places. The preferences vary from traveller to traveller: hot countries, cold countries, long trips, local trips, solo travel, group travel, all-inclusive, adventure holidays - and so on.

But there is one thing all travel has in common. It teaches you the same lessons - no matter where you go, how you spend your trip, and how long you stay. The multiple benefits of travel are a common denominator for all kinds of trips, and in this article, we will list the most valuable ones.

Benefits of travel - 14 things travel teaches you:

Broadens horizons, helps to step out of the comfort zone, teaches you to appreciate diversity, develops tolerance, improves endurance, increases flexibility, trains assertiveness, proves the importance of research, brings communication skills to the next level, lets you make international connections, verifies relationships, makes you comfortable in your own company, allows you to get to know yourself better.

Gives an opportunity to adopt new habits and/or traditions

Travelling opens your eyes to things you never considered before. One of the main benefits of travel is collecting new experiences. They can be physical, emotional, or psychological.

For example, trying local cuisines may have you tasting dishes you never knew existed. Perhaps you will come across an ingredient you would never consider using on a daily basis, but once you swallow your prejudices, it will turn out yummier than you expected.

Trips also have the power of making you realise the world has a lot to offer. Leaving home may seem scary or unnecessary at first. But when you overcome the initial fear, you discover that you shouldn’t have worried and that the pros of exploring new places outweigh the cons.

Every trip to somewhere you have never been before is a huge step out of your comfort zone. You have to figure out everything - transport, finances, accommodation, local customs, or how to navigate the city or country.

Embracing the unknown becomes significantly smoother with the right technological solutions, such as custom software development for travel , ensuring a seamless experience from planning to execution.

Integrating AI in the travel industry further enhances this journey, offering personalized recommendations and real-time support that make stepping out of your comfort zone not just a challenge, but an adventure to look forward to.

The fact you are planning to travel somewhere you have never been before is an additional challenge. It takes a lot of courage to venture to an unknown place and trust that the research you have conducted will ensure a good stay.

The language barrier is often another difficulty many travellers need to face. Communicating with someone who doesn’t speak your native language is a fantastic exercise to increase your confidence and prove to yourself that you can find your way out of any situation.

When we stay in our bubble for a long time, we get used to our own ways. We all have our rituals and best practices, a routine we follow on a daily basis.

Why is travel good for you? It helps you discover that there are other ways of doing things, and that they are all equally great.

You may not agree with everything you see or experience during your trips. But just knowing about them will open your eyes to how beautifully different we all are.

Most people travel because they want to discover something new, unordinary. If every corner of the world was the same, there would be no reason for us to go anywhere.

What makes travel so alluring and life so entertaining is the diversity. Different people, different habits, different cultures, different landscapes. All of it attracts us to the notion of travelling and the more we see, the more open-minded we become.

Prejudices are born out of fear. It’s easy to judge the unknown and form opinions about things we have never personally seen or experienced.

One of the main benefits of travel is witnessing many things you wouldn’t if you stayed at home. You can talk to people with different habits and learn their points of view.

And just like that, something foreign will become easier to sympathise with. It will no longer be just a tale from another country or continent but a personal story - something you have seen or done.

You don’t have to start practising the things you discover during your travels. But just understanding them is a step towards increasing your tolerance for everything that is different from what you are used to.

During your travels, not everything will go as planned. There will be many emergencies and last-minute decisions which need to be taken sooner than you can blink.

Of course, you can minimise the risk of unexpected turns of events by preparing a detailed travel plan beforehand. But still, no matter how good of a planner you are , certain things just remain out of your control.

Situations like that generate stress, but they are also perfect real-life lessons which help you build up your endurance. The more surprises you experience, the more used to them you become. You work out a course of action, which you can then implement each time something goes wrong.

What used to be a cause of a minor emotional breakdown, at some point becomes just a minor inconvenience thanks to the unpredictability of travel.

Next to endurance, flexibility is another must-have trait of every traveller. Not only does travel teach you to keep your cool in case of emergencies - it also allows you to develop the ability to think on the spot and quickly come up with new solutions.

Delayed or cancelled flights are (sadly) a norm these days. Frequent travel has you always thinking of a plan B in case plan A doesn’t work out. You start to avoid strict schedules and leave enough time for eventual adjustments in your travel plan.

If your original accommodation doesn’t live up to your expectations, you collect resources to use to quickly find new lodgings in case it ever happens again. Generally, you learn to turn each negative experience into a chance to improve, and that makes you more resourceful with every trip you make.

What do people learn from travelling? How to say no, in literally every situation you can imagine.

It can be when someone is trying to sell you a souvenir you don’t want or need. Perhaps when you are trying to negotiate your terms, and someone is convincing you another deal is much better. Or maybe when you need to fight for a refund you know you deserve but which someone is refusing to give you.

Being flexible and adaptable doesn’t mean being a doormat. You deserve to plan an unforgettable experience and benefit from every aspect of it. Travelling often comes with having to put your foot down - a skill that is hard to get but valuable to have.

It is in your best interest to do thorough research before embarking on a trip. After all, how else would you know anything about a place you have never been to before?

When you travel, you build up a collection of favourite resources to look for information. These days, obtaining advice is easier than ever - there is a magnitude of travel blogs to choose from. Even TikTok has become a place people often turn to for useful travel hacks.

The amount of information is exactly why you should be more careful now than ever. Only use data obtained from verified resources you know you can trust.

When looking for tips and tricks or local recommendations, primarily ask around among the people you personally know. Maybe one of your friends or family members has visited the place you plan to go and can share some personal advice or trustworthy sources of information.

Pro tip: even if a site seems trustworthy, check the date when it was last updated. Even the most useful recommendations have no value if they are outdated.

Another thing to watch out for is scams. Double-check every travel agency, accommodation provider, or trip organiser. Look for actual testimonials and verify how many results come up when you Google the name. See if the provided contact details are accurate and if the address matches.

If in doubt, don’t hesitate to call and ask your questions. If it still seems fishy, look somewhere else. It is better to pay a bit more for guaranteed quality than save on a questionable experience or even be scammed.

When planning a trip, you have to make many calls and send countless messages. During the travel itself, you are in touch with multiple people speaking a variety of languages.

If you find it difficult to talk to strangers, travelling will change that. You may never be fully comfortable with initiating conversation, but you can definitely get used to it.

When it’s your comfort on the line, it’s likely you will eventually give in and make that dreaded call. When travelling to unknown places, you really don’t want to leave too much up to luck and count on the best scenario.

Additionally, one of the main benefits of travel is making new connections. Talking to the locals is one of the most gratifying elements of every trip, so don’t let your insecurities stop you.

Once you survive a conversation with someone speaking an entirely different language, your confidence levels will skyrocket. You will prove to yourself that you can do anything.

No matter if you travel solo or with company, there will always be people you can talk to. Perhaps solo travellers may feel more inclined to make new friends to have someone to interact with. But for some, it is easier to meet new people when in the company of somebody you already know.

You can strike up a conversation with a fellow traveller and exchange tips and tricks. You may also approach a local for personal insights. Not even the most detailed travel guide will be able to provide you with the knowledge someone who lives in a certain place can share.

Having friends all around the world is wonderful. It has its limitations, such as the necessity to maintain long-term relationships. They take effort to upkeep, but are incredibly rewarding if you succeed.

Making a friend during your trip will also give you a reason to go back someday. If you are close enough, you may even be able to benefit from free accommodation during your next stay, and repay the favour by inviting them over to visit you.

Not to mention, having international friends brings new points of view and refreshing perspectives into your life. When you meet someone from another country, you get to know the place on a deeper level as well.

There is no better way to get to know someone better than to travel with them. When travelling, you remove yourself from familiar territory, start living under different conditions, and develop new habits.

Oftentimes, you have to turn your life around to adjust to the reality of travelling. Such a big change is a true test for people who embark on a journey together.

Travel may subject you to unexpected situations, unwanted changes, and difficult choices. Additionally, everyone has a different style of travelling. Every traveller expects to meet different goals and approaches each trip with various expectations.

Some prefer the slow travel experience , while others favour intense trips. While one person would like to relax on a holiday, another may want to pack the itinerary with activities.

Such aspects need to be discussed with every friend, family member, or partner we choose to travel with. Often, a compromise needs to be made, if it turns out the expectations of each side don’t match.

Living under special conditions and outside of one’s comfort zone can sometimes bring out a side of us we don’t normally show. It’s not uncommon if not even we had been aware we had such a side!

Travelling together can turn out to be a bigger challenge than you may expect. It can tighten the bonds, or it can drive a wedge between people. Even if you think you know the person or people you plan to travel with, make sure to discuss every aspect of your journey together to avoid possible misunderstandings.

This point is especially valid for solo travellers. It is a topic which is not mentioned nearly enough when talking about solo travel, and many people find it surprising when they experience it on their own.

Namely, you spend a lot of time alone when you travel on your own. Many travel bloggers prefer to avoid mentioning that aspect, showing the cheerful reality of being surrounded by newly made friends 24/7.

The truth is, it will take a while for you to make friends while you travel. Additionally, the people you meet may have different plans than you. Fellow travellers would have likely come with their own itinerary which won’t always match yours step for step. Locals may be at work and have other duties preventing them from dedicating all their time to you.

So while you should expect to make friends, do also prepare to spend some time by yourself. If you sleep at a hostel, you will likely be surrounded by like-minded people most of the time, but may be alone during your daily escapades. If you rent a hotel room or an Airbnb, you will be in your own company a lot more.

But being by yourself is not necessarily bad. Travelling helps you learn new things about yourself. When you are alone, you have the time to reflect on things you might normally skip over. We all need some me-time once in a while - even the biggest of extroverts - so appreciate that opportunity.

When you travel, you won’t only learn about new places. You will also find out a lot about yourself.

As we have already mentioned, travel forces you into a special mode, which is often very different from how you normally operate in your everyday life. You are surrounded by the unknown, have to rely on yourself (and whoever you’re with, if you have company), and need to adjust to certain conditions.

You might need to make decisions you would never have had to at home, or listen to your instincts in case of emergencies. The truth is, you won’t really find out who you are at your core and what you are capable of until you’re pushed out of your comfort zone.

When you travel, you find out who you are on an unknown ground where nobody is watching, and you may be positively surprised at what you learn.

Gives an opportunity to adopt new habits and/or traditions

One of the main benefits of travel is discovering new cultures. You will likely come across customs you didn’t know existed. You will like some of them more than others, but if they catch your attention, why not bring them home with you?

If you happen to spend your New Year’s Eve in Spain, you might adopt the tradition of consuming twelve grapes at midnight. If you spend Christmas in Germany, you may bring home a gherkin-shaped ornament to decorate your Christmas tree from now on.

A new custom is one of the best souvenirs you can come back with. As important as nurturing your own traditions is, it’s not impossible to pair them with new ones.

Not to mention, it’s a great conversation starter. Imagine being asked about a peculiar habit you have observed abroad and inspiring someone else to introduce it into their life as well. It’s like being an influencer!

Bear in mind, this is not an exhaustive list of the benefits of travel. In reality, things travel teaches you are never-ending, and every traveller decides for themselves which lessons are the most valuable to them.

Every trip is different so whenever you travel, you learn something new. It’s a good idea to write your thoughts after every trip in a travel journal and draw conclusions for the future.

Can you think of any other things travel teaches you? If there are any benefits of travel that are important to you but weren’t mentioned here, feel free to drop them in the comments!

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14 BENEFITS OF TRAVELLING (& Easy Ways To Enhance Your Travel Experience)

July 15, 2023

benefits-of-travelling-enhance-your-travel

Many of us understand and enjoy the health benefits of travelling , we feel calmer, happier and more relaxed. But in what other ways does travel impact on our lives?

The benefits of travelling are instant. As soon as you start planning and booking a trip, you feel excited.

Travel means different things to each of us, however the benefits gained through travel are far-reaching and last long after we return from a trip. Here, I outline why travel can have such a positive effect on your life and discuss some of the main benefits to a traveller.

14 INCREDIBLE BENEFITS OF TRAVELLING

1. brings a sense of calm to an overloaded mind.

Let’s face it, life can be hectic, hurried and packed with mundane and stressful times. We can be left feeling as though we are riding a rollercoaster of emotions, with no way of stopping and getting off.

While some stress can be good for us, allowing our minds to find peace is also important. Travel can have an enormous positive effect on our mental health and wellbeing. Without any commitments, we can change our outlook and reduce our stress levels.

Away from the normal daily life worries, concerns and thoughts, we are able to switch off and find a sense of calmness.

2. ALLOWS YOU TO DISCOVER NEW THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF

Travel takes us out of our normal routine and sometimes our comfort zone. When faced with new situations that we don’t normally face, it is surprising how easy we find it, to make immediate decisions. You discover that you can indeed deal with different scenarios.

We can discover different aspects to our character when travelling, that we hadn’t appreciated before. It can be something as simple as chatting to a local when you never considered yourself as a sociable person. This new found knowledge can give you confidence for similar situations back home.

3. TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER

benefits of travelling is that you become a story teller

Travel provides us with a wealth of stories to share with people, whether friends and family, or new people we meet. You can become a conservationist, sharing tales of where you have been and what you have seen.

I personally love hearing about people’s travels. It is inspiring, travelling a journey alongside the storyteller.

4. YOU LEARN HOW TO BETTER COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE

The more people we meet from every walk of life, the more we learn how to communicate better with each other. Travel isn’t always an uneventful experience and at times we have to show great tolerance towards each other! We tend to go out of our way more when we travel, to communicate with people.

We once spent a couple of hours on a train, seated with an elderly French couple. They spoke only a few words of English, and we were trading on our French learnt at school!! Did we spend the entire meal just talking to our partners?

No, we found a way to communicate with hand gestures and one word sentences, and when we parted, the lovely couple left us their business card!

5. GETS YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING

When we travel, everything that is familiar is cast aside and we see new things for the first time. We make different decisions, meet new people, try new experiences and it can be a refreshing change for our brains.

We are no longer running on auto pilot or in a rut, and this brings new creativity to the fore. Suddenly after months of trying to come up with new ideas, fresh takes on situations, our minds are brimming with possibilities . Our thoughts are sharper and clearer and it feels like a breath of fresh air!

6. EDUCATES YOU IN LIFE OUTSIDE OF BOOKS

I love reading about a new destination and hearing about other traveller’s stories. Reading about a country gives you a broad spectrum of understanding.

However, with all things in life, it is only when you experience them, that you gain true insight. You have to be there, to really take in the beauty of an architectural building. You have to be there, to witness things through your own eyes.

7. MANY TRAVEL MYTHS ARE DISPELLED

There are many reasons why people don’t travel, and these are often down to myths and misconceptions. It is only when we do travel, these these myths are shown up for the scare mongering that they are.

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. Travel isn’t dangerous. You won’t be surrounded by strangers that you cannot communicate with.

8. YOU ENCOUNTER AND LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES

Just one aspect of travelling, is discovering how other people live, work, eat, pray and play. It is exciting, walking around temples, hearing how locals beliefs, impact on their lives. What their faith and culture means to them.

This knowledge can add a different dimension to your own life. It broadens your perspective and understanding.

9. YOU COME TO THE REALISATION THAT WE ARE ALL BASICALLY THE SAME

Travelling helps you realise that we all essentially have the same needs. We all eat, drink, work, play and move around. We may do these things differently, but ultimately have the same basic needs as each other.

Travel shows us that it is narrow-minded to make assumptions about people, just because they may eat different food and live in a different culture. But that for me, is part of the excitement of travel.

10. A SHIFT TAKES PLACE WITHIN US

Travel exposes us to so many new and different things and experiences. Your awareness alters and you begin to question what is important to you as an individual. Visiting poorer countries, those who have suffered tragedies, oppression or genocide cannot fail to have an impact on you psychologically.

You begin to question your own values, your feelings and even the purpose of your life. With this new sense, you may decide you want to live differently or for your life to take a new direction.

11. WE GAIN A DEEPER APPRECIATION OF WHAT WE HAVE

With a shift in our values and understanding, hopefully comes a deepened sense of appreciation. For what we already have in our lives, for our families and loved ones and for our own country and our freedom.

It is so easy for all of us to just focus on the negative things we perceive to have in our lives back home. Suddenly, we are handed a stark reminder of how good our lives actually are, in comparison to other peoples.

12. IT BRINGS OUT THE ADVENTURER WITHIN YOU

Life can become mundane and steady when we work full-time. There doesn’t seem time or opportunity to experience new activities when you feel in a rut.

Come holiday time though, and the adventurer within us seems to be unleashed. We are not tied down to keeping up appearances, and the sense of freedom means we are happy to try new things and conjure up our own mini adventures.

13. A WEALTH OF MEMORIES ARE CREATED

Material possessions don’t make memories, travelling does. It doesn’t matter whether it was a weekend, a week or a month. Travelling opens a door within your mind, that makes you want more of it.

Your life will be the richer for all the wonderful moments that you experience and the unforgettable memories that stay with you forever.

14. RETURNS YOU HOME CALMER AND HAPPIER

When we travel, we press the pause button on everyday life. We have the chance to give our minds and body a well earned rest. This results in us feeling less stressed, relaxed and happier. We have more energy and feel more able to cope with what life may bring.

The only downside, is that we crave more of the same and can’t wait for our next trip!

HOW TO ENHANCE YOUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

For many of us, we have spent months planning and dreaming about our upcoming trip and are filled with excitement and enthusiasm in equal measure. We look forward to having a break from our jobs, home and the grind of day-to-day routines.

We want our trip to be everything we imagined and more. But how can you fully enjoy the benefits of travelling, and enhance your holiday experience so your time away is spent in the best way possible?

What if I told you that this is unbelievably easy to achieve? The best part? It doesn’t involve you spending lots of extra money and it’s how we have enhanced our trips over the years.

18 EASY WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

1. start the day early.

Getting up early when you are on holiday, is not the same as getting up at home to go to work. Your overall mindset is completely different, more carefree and devoid of the normal stresses that you encounter. You can fit so much into your day when you start early, and being able to witness a stunning sunrise, is worth its weight in gold.

Not only that, you will also avoid crowds, bus tour groups, queues at popular sites and often have places all to yourself.

2. USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

What better way to experience life like a local, than to ride with them on public transport. In many ways, countries have similar infra-structures, but it is fun to ride local trams, tuk-tuks, ferries and underground metros.

Discovering the way tickets are purchased, how you queue for the arrival of trams/trains and the etiquette of your journey is eye-opening, interesting and a learning curve.

When we were in Darwin Australia, we used local buses, and the driver would interact with every passenger as they boarded and shout goodbye when each of us departed, often offering tips for a particular tourist sight. It made us feel like locals.

3. DON’T AVOID TOURIST SIGHTS

Tourist sites can often be crowded and noisy, but there is a reason for their popularity. They are worth seeing and impressive in their own right. Sights such as Niagara Falls, Empire State Building, Uluru and the Louvre are termed ‘unmissable’ because they are incredibly view worthy.

So don’t cross them off your list as being busy or predictable, rather visit them early morning and enjoy them before the hordes of tourists arrive.

4. KEEP A JOURNAL

It can be difficult during a trip where each day is crammed full of sightseeing, to remember the finer details. You will forget the quirky cafe that served amazing breakfasts, the hotel that had sunken baths in their rooms, the name of the lovely interesting old man you chatted to for an hour or the route that took you along amazing scenery. These are all details that you will come to treasure and still recall years later.

Take a journal or simple notepad and write down details about your day, before you go to bed. I personally like to record cafes/restaurants we have eaten in, sites we have seen, walks we have taken, places we have stayed and people we have met. Trust me, you will be thankful for this journal when you want to recall details and memories.

5. ATTEND A LOCAL EVENT

Whether you are attending a special yearly festival or simply joining in with a pub quiz, you can embrace local life and gain an insight to what it feels like to live in a certain place.

Local events have a real community feel about them and often involve experiences you would never consider participating in at home. If you have the opportunity, attend that local quiz, fair or concert and you will be glad that you did.

We have enjoyed local events such as open air cinema nights , beach markets and craft fairs where we struck up conversations with local people, enjoyed local fare and purchased handcrafted souvenirs. These events have definitely enhanced our holiday experience.

6. EMBRACE THE UNEXPECTED

Even with the best laid plans, things can sometimes go awry. If you can, it is easier and more comfortable to try to attempt to embrace these unexpected events rather than fight them and get stressed.

Years ago when I was a frightened flyer, we were flying from Melbourne to Cairns, via Sydney. I suffered a major panic attack on the first flight so we decided to get off the plane in Sydney and hired a car to drive all the way to Cairns. The rental dealer thought we were mad!

Yes, at the time it was stressful, incurred additional expense and resulted in 2 lost days in Cairns. But, we embraced this unexpected change and followed the coast road where we witnessed incredible scenery and beautiful beaches, ate in local cafes and when we finally arrived in Kewarra Beach, discovered that our room had been given away and we had been upgraded.

Twenty years later and we still talk about the amazing drive and the fond memories it gave us.

7. LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO STATIONS

If you are on a road trip, tune into the local radio station and you will be kept up to date with any traffic holdups, road closures and local weather. It is also fun to listen to the music the station plays and you might even spot a new favourite artist to listen to back home. It is interesting to hear the local lingo and be entertained on your journey.

8. SMILE OFTEN

I am a great believer in the power of a smile, especially when you are in a foreign country. It costs nothing, helps form a bond that surpasses language barriers and makes you feel more cheerful.

A smile conveys so much between people,that words cannot always express. You never know what a stranger is going through, but a smile lifts spirits and makes a huge difference. So, smile at fellow walkers, at passengers you sit next to and people who catch your eye because it will improve your day.

9. CHAT TO LOCALS

By chatting to locals, you will learn and discover so much more and make better connections. As locals living in that particular town, they are a valuable resource to the best sights, best places to eat, hidden gems off the normal tourist track and their recommendations can really add value to your whole experience. Many locals will really appreciate you making the effort to stop and talk to them.

10. SAVOUR VIEWS FIRST HAND

It is great to take photos when you are away on a trip but with Facebook and Instagram being a part of many people’s lives, it can be the number one distraction. How many times have you reached a phenomenal sight, only to be surrounded by selfie takers, flicking their hair this way and that, posing with their backs to the camera or worse, atop the very attraction you have arrived to see.

By all means take as many photos as you want, but make the first viewing with your eyes only and not through a small screen or viewfinder. I bet you will remember how special that view is and instantly recall how it made you feel.

11. BE SPONTANEOUS

Say yes to last-minute spontaneous invitations and new experiences, this way you will meet new people, have fun and discover new things. It pays to plan your trip to a certain extent, but always leave room for accepting any offer that comes your way.

We were staying in a bed and breakfast in Kalbarri, Australia and our hosts invited us to their home for a bbq on the second night. We were so tempted to politely decline as we are reasonably reserved until we know people better, but spontaneously accepted and had a great laughter filled night.

On another occasion in Namibia, we had just arrived at our lodge and were immediately invited on a game drive leaving that minute. We so nearly said we would go on the drive the following morning but thankfully left our luggage at reception and joined 2 other couples.

We had an amazing and truly memorable time, seeing a cheetah, 3 wild dogs and a leopard. So always be spontaneous – it will certainly enhance your holiday experience.

12. WANDER OFF THE BEATEN PATH

As long as you have the address of your accommodation with you, do not be afraid to wander down side streets, cobbled paths and alleyways. You will be rewarded with meeting and conversing with locals, finding small churches, quaint houses, local parks and you will get a different perspective of the area and often find hidden gems that the hordes of tourists miss.

13. STOP AND BE MINDFUL OF THE MOMENT

It can be tempting when you are going from place to place seeing local sights, to not really enjoy the here and now.

Try and practice ‘mindful travel’ to deepen your awareness and enjoy being in the present moment. Stop every now and then, put your camera down and become really aware of your surroundings, the beautiful landscape and vistas.

Look closely at birds and flowers noticing everything about their appearance. Smell the enticing aromas around you, feel the breeze in your hair and the sun on your face. Be aware of everything around you. Use your senses to really be present in this moment right now.

Not only will you be feeling calmer but you will be fully present and notice so much more around you – a great way to enhance your holiday experience.

14. SAMPLE LOCAL FOOD

Travelling abroad provides us with the chance to try cuisine from different regions and foods that you may never have tried before. Trying traditional food is part of learning about a country’s culture and opens up a whole new world of unique cuisine. So don’t be afraid of trying local delicacies such as laksa in Singapore, dumplings in Hong Kong, arancini in Italy and sushi in Japan.

15. TRY SOMETHING NEW

Travel is the perfect opportunity to try something new, to push yourself and take you out of your comfort zone.

There are normally a wealth of different and exciting experiences to be had that will leave you with great memories. We took a cooking class in Thailand which involved buying fresh ingredients from a local market, went on a cormorant fishing trip in China and completed a famous day hike in New Zealand.

These are all things we would not have done at home and were great fun.

16. BE FLEXIBLE AND REALISTIC

Whilst it pays to be organised and have a trip planned out to make best use of your time, it is also a good idea to be flexible, as you don’t know when an opportunity may present itself that you want to take advantage of.

Sometimes a local gives you a recommendation of a place to visit or you discover a local event that you would like to attend.

It is also important to be realistic and accept that sometimes things do not pan out according to how we would like them to or indeed expect them to and it helps to be mindful of this.

Sometimes the weather throws us a curve ball and rains, flights are delayed or cancelled, places take longer to reach and we can’t see every sight we want. Life at home isn’t always plain sailing so don’t expect it to be any different on holiday.

17. RESPECT OTHER CULTURES

Part of travelling is learning about other cultures and seeing how people live in different societies. This also means that we may come across beliefs, religions and traditions that don’t sit comfortably with our own way of living.

Remain open-minded and find out more about a custom that may seem offensive or uncomfortable to you. Above all be respectful of another person’s point of view and way of living as you would expect them to be of yours.

18. END THE DAY ON A THANKFUL NOTE

I always take the time at the end of the day before going to bed, to reflect on the day and write down three things that I am thankful for. This makes me more appreciative, more positive and happier.

Even if things haven’t worked out as you had planned, maybe a flight was delayed, the hotel wasn’t as nice as expected or it constantly poured with rain, there will still be a lot of things tangible or intangible, that have been good about the day.

This practice helps with stress, makes you feel more positive and calmer and is proven to be good for your mental health and well-being.

Hopefully this post showed you the benefits of travelling and how to enhance your holiday experience. Start to immplement these easy strategies and get as much enjoyment from your trip as possible.

Which ways do you use to improve your holiday experience?

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through this link. This income goes towards the sites running costs and enables us to provide our readers with free content. Read our Disclosure .

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10 top-rated travel pillows for long trips

Tired businessman with neck pillow sleeping on passenger train

Between crowded seats, crying babies and limited leg room, traveling on long flights can be exhausting and uncomfortable. A perfect pillow makes the trek slightly easier to bear and can help you get some sleep during those travel periods. To help you narrow down which travel pillow is right for you, we consulted sleep and travel experts about what to know before shopping, plus we compiled highly rated options to consider.

SKIP AHEAD What are the benefits of travel pillows? | How we picked the best travel pillows | The best travel pillows to consider in 2024 | How to shop for travel pillows

Selected. Our top picks

What are the benefits of travel pillows?

Whether your airplane seat is too small or your bus ride endures several bumps, it may be difficult to relax on a long trip. Add noisy conversations and frequent overhead announcements and you have multiple barriers in your way to getting a good nap.

One of the main reasons people struggle to sleep while traveling — especially on international flights with time changes — is because they’re trying to sleep at a time with “low circadian and homeostatic drive” (a time when they would not normally sleep, so they’re not as tired), says Dr. Andrew Varga, a board-certified physician at The Mount Sinai Integrative Sleep Center . The other factor, according to Varga, is the sleeping space, which is usually cramped and doesn’t let you lie recumbent or change positions, except in typically pricey business- and first-class cabins.

“Not everyone is an equally deep sleeper, and people with any sleep issues at baseline will often have a harder time sleeping in a louder and less comfortable environment — such as an airplane,” says board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist Dr. Alex Dimitriu . He noted that posture plays a big role in the discomfort we feel — and as anyone who has slept on a plane knows, “the head tends to fall off to the side or forward, which is both uncomfortable and can cause neck pain, and [can] even make breathing less efficient.”

“Sleeping upright is not at all a natural position,” says Dr. Mayank Shukla , a board-certified pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist in New York City. “Our head weighs almost 10 pounds and flops around the neck when sleeping upright, leading to aches and pain with all that muscle strain.”

Experts noted that travel pillows can provide support for the neck and head, alleviating some pain and discomfort when combating an upright sleeping position while traveling. They’re typically portable, lightweight, ergonomically designed and come in different sizes to fit every type of person, plus some have additional high-tech features like temperature regulation. This is an ideal tool for frequent flyers who hope to maintain a semi-regular sleeping schedule.

How we picked the best travel pillows

The best travel pillows are ones that are comfortable, supportive and easy to carry around, according to our experts. When shopping for a quality travel pillow, they recommend considering the following factors:

Inflatable vs. non-inflatable : You can adjust inflatable pillows to your desired firmness, and easily store them away when deflated. With non-inflatable pillows, on the other hand, you can fill them with more cushioned materials to promote comfort including memory foam and poly-fiber fill.
Portability : Look for features like straps (that you can attach to your luggage ) or an accompanying pouch (that you can pack it down into) for ease while on the go.

select Minimize chaos on your next trip with these expert-approved accessories

The best travel pillows to consider in 2024.

Below, we rounded up a selection of the best travel pillows based on NBC Select staff recommendations, ratings and expert advice.

Best overal travel pillow: Cabeau

Cabeau evolution s3 sleep pillow.

Straps allow for attachment to headrests
Adjustable drawstrings
Comes with carrying case
Large size may be uncomfortable to some

Former NBC Select editor Christina Colizza says she loves this travel pillow from Cabeau because it prevents slouching by attaching to the plane’s headrest. “As someone who is [very tall], I’ll take all the help I can in getting some sleep while flying, and this pillow makes a huge difference,” she says. “Plus, it compresses down into a small pouch, which makes it convenient enough to schlep around airports.” The headrest attachment also makes this an ideal option for long road trips. This travel pillow comes in five colors and patterns including indigo and galaxy.

Fill material : Memory foam | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Travel bag | Rating : 4.3-star average rating from 7,652 reviews on Amazon

Best splurge travel pillow: Ostrichpillow

Ostrichpillow go neck pillow.

Full 360-degree neck support
Compresses for easy packing
Fit around neck may vary

Ostrichpillow offers a variety of unique pillow alternatives, from a napping option to a mini hand pillow . This memory foam one has raised edges for neck support and comes with a velcro strap that allows you to customize its fit. The travel pillow can also compress down to snugly fit inside the included travel bag.

Fill material : Memory foam | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Travel bag | Rating : 4-star average rating from 1,876 reviews on Amazon

Best versatile travel pillow: Huzi

Huzi infinity travel pillow.

Very versatile
Bulky: can be hard to carry
May be difficult to store

If you’re looking for a pillow with versatility, this option from Huzi may be just what you need. It’s made from a soft, anti-bacterial nylon bamboo that keeps you cool and airy as you sleep, according to the brand. The best part, however, is its scarf-like, 360-degree design — you can move and adjust the pillow however you’d like to target specific areas like your neck, back, chin and more. It can also be wrapped around your head to help muffle noise, or used as support when resting against a plane or car window.

Fill material : Microfiber | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : None | Rating : 4.3-star average rating from 6,307 reviews on Amazon

Best travel pillow for chin support: Bcozzy

Bcozzy chin supporting travel pillow.

Stops your head from falling forward
Good value for price
Full wrap around can feel constrictive

Few things can jolt you awake faster than your head falling forward while you’re seated. This ergonomic neck pillow offers an adjustable front loop for chin support and a flat back to avoid pushing your head forward. It includes a snap strap that you can hook to your luggage or hang up in your car. The pillow comes in multiple colors and you can choose between various sizes ranging from kids small to extra-large .

Fill material : Polyester | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Snap closure | Rating : 4.2-star average rating from 29,016 reviews on Amazon

Best travel pillow for back support: SmartTravel

Smarttravel inflatable lumbar travel pillow.

Easily inflates and deflates
Can be used on back as well as neck
Hand-wash only

NBC Select managing editor Leah Ginsberg says she likes a lumbar pillow for added back support during long flights. This inflatable pillow serves as both a neck and back pillow, and is designed to fit your body’s natural curves and reduce pressure on the spine and neck, according to the brand. It also comes with an expandable mounting band to easily fasten it to headrests.

Fill material : Inflatable | Machine-washable cover : No | Portable features : Travel bag | Rating : 4.3-star average rating from 1,262 reviews on Amazon

Best inflatable travel pillow: Sunany

Sunany inflatable neck pillow.

Comes with accessories
Quickly inflates and deflates
Not very soft

Designed to follow the natural curve of your neck and body, this travel pillow’s ergonomic shape can soothe discomfort and reduce pressure points around your head and neck, according to the brand. You can also place your arms and head inside one of the four holes to support a sleeping position that’s most comfortable for you. It comes with a pouch for storage, along with a matching eye mask and earplugs.

Fill material : Inflatable | Machine-washable cover : No | Portable features : Travel bag | Rating : 4.2-star average rating from 6,696 reviews on Amazon

Best travel pillow for single-side sleepers: Trtl

Trtl travel pillow.

Soft, cozy exterior
Lightweight and easy to pack
Only supports one side at a time

For those who don’t find enough support from traditional U-shaped travel pillows, this uniquely-shaped option comes with a hidden inner support that can hold your head and neck at any position that’s comfortable for you. You can adjust the support to contour your neck, shoulder or jaw, while the fleece exterior is soft and machine-washable.

Fill material: Mesh fabric | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Flat design for easy packing | Rating : 4.0-star average rating from 35,371 reviews on Amazon

Best budget travel pillow: Wolf Essentials

Wolf essentials microfiber neck pillow.

World's Best Feather Soft Microfiber Neck Pillow

Wolf Essentials Microfiber Travel Pillow

Very affordable option
Machine-washable
Thickness may cause fit issues

This neck pillow’s fleece cover provides soft, thermal comfort, which is perfect for when the plane or vehicle gets cold. It’s entirely machine-washable (not just the cover) and comes with a snap closure to keep it from sliding off of your neck or to connect it to your luggage.

Fill material : Polyester blend | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Snap closure | Rating : 4.4-star average rating from 10,911 reviews on Amazon

Other travel pillows we love

Crafty world travel neck pillow.

No on-neck fastener

This option comes with a removable and machine-washable cover, so you can easily wash it. It’s made with a memory foam interior and a velour fabric exterior for a soft and comfortable feel, according to the brand. The pillow also has an elastic strap to help you connect it to your suitcase for extra portability. It comes in four colors — black, blue, gray and purple.

Fill material : Memory foam | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Elastic strap | Rating : 4.3-star average rating from 5,558 reviews on Amazon

Mlvoc Travel Pillow

Includes eye masks, earplugs and carrying bag
Affordably priced
Bulky; may have issues with fit

With its ergonomic, curved design for neck and head support, this travel pillow comes wrapped in a cover that is both machine-washable and sweat-resistant. The travel pillow comes with a contoured eye mask and earplugs, and can fold down to half its size to fit neatly into the included travel bag. Plus, the built-in snap strap can also latch onto your suitcase for easy portability.

Fill material : Memory foam | Machine-washable cover : Yes | Portable features : Travel bag | Rating : 4.3-star average rating from 33,692 reviews on Amazon

select Whether you’re going away for a week or a weekend, there’s a highly-rated bag on Amazon for you.

How to shop for a travel pillow.

The best travel pillow is one that you find the most comfortable to use for extended periods of time. Ideally, Dimitriu recommends testing out the pillow beforehand to see whether it’s comfortable and how it changes shape.

“The emphasis for most users should be to see how comfortably the pillow lets you rest with your back to the seat and without your head falling forward,” he says. And while larger pillows tend to provide more cushioning, he noted “airplane seats are tight, and there is such a thing as too much pillow.”

Below, we highlighted two of the most important considerations when shopping for travel pillows: inflatability and portability.

Inflatable vs. non-inflatable

When going on a long-haul trip, most travelers don’t want another thing to lug around. “Inflatable pillows may allow for more cushion and can fold to a smaller size,” Dimitriu says, adding that they won’t take up too much space in your luggage. They’re also typically more adjustable — you can change the amount of air to get more or less firmness, depending on your comfort level.

Non-inflatable travel pillows include various types of filling material including memory foam, polyester fiberfill and microbeads. While the different materials can make it easier to find a more comfortable fit, non-inflatable pillows tend to be bulkier than inflatable ones. When it comes to cleaning, both inflatable and non-inflatable pillows typically have removable covers that you can machine wash or spot clean.

Portability

If you’re on a multipart journey or backpacking through Europe, for example, the size and portability of your travel pillow may be just as important off a plane as it is on it. Some travel pillows have straps that you can attach to your luggage, while with others you can fold to fit inside a small bag.

Meet our experts

At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

Dr. Andrew Varga is a board-certified physician at The Mount Sinai Integrative Sleep Center .
Dr. Alex Dimitriu is a board-certified psychiatrist, sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine in Menlo Park, California.
Dr. Mayank Shukla is a board-certified pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist in New York City.

Why trust NBC Select?

Mili Godio is an updates editor at Select and covers a range of sleep topics including weighted blankets , sunrise alarm clocks and blackout curtains . Ashley Morris is an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select covering skin care, lifestyle and more. For this story, Godio spoke to three sleep medicine experts to get their recommendations on how to shop for travel pillows and their benefits. She also researched dozens of travel pillows on the market that are in line with experts’ guidance.

Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance , tech and tools , wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.

Mili Godio is an updates editor for Select on NBC News.

Small Business Trends

10 best business travel management companies.

A good travel management company can provide you with a travel program that is tailored to your needs, as well as travel arrangers to help you with all of your travel arrangements. They can also provide you with helpful tips and advice for business travelers. If you’re looking for the best travel management services for your business, then look no further than the following 10 companies.

What are Business Travel Management Companies and What do They Offer Business Travelers?

BTMCs, provide services to their corporate clients to help manage their business travel. This can include providing software that tracks the expenses and itineraries of traveling employees, booking flights and hotels, arranging car rentals and other transportation, and providing customer service support during the travelers’ trip.

This can be invaluable for companies that have many employees traveling for work regularly, as it helps keep track of all the costs and logistics associated with business travel. Additionally, BTMCs can often negotiate lower rates for their clients on various travel services.

READ MORE: Travel Risk Management Tips

Benefits of Using a Corporate Travel Management Company

There are many benefits to using a corporate management company for travel, including these four:

Expense management. BTMCs can help businesses keep track of their spending on business travel and provide software to help manage and automate the expense reporting process.
Business traveler support. Corporate travel management companies can provide customer support to travelers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This can be helpful in the event of an emergency or last-minute changes to travel plans.
Travel management solution. BTMCs can provide businesses with a complete travel management solution that includes booking flights and hotels, arranging transportation, and providing customer support.
Lower travel costs. BTMCs often have access to discounts on flights, hotels, and other travel services that they can pass on to their clients.

10 Best Business Travel Management Companies

How to Grow Your Corporate Travel Program

A company can grow its business travel program in a few ways, including using a business management company for travel. Business travel arrangers can help to make travel easier and more efficient for employees, which can save the company time and money.

You can also educate employees on the benefits of using a travel management company in the travel program. And you can encourage employees to book their travel early.

General Criteria for Choosing the Best Business Travel Management Company- Our Methodology

Selecting the right business travel management company is crucial for streamlining your corporate travel needs. To assist you in this important decision, here are some general criteria to consider, along with a scale indicating their relative importance:

1. Expertise and Industry Experience (9/10):

Extensive experience in corporate travel management.
In-depth knowledge of the travel industry and its trends.
Proven track record of successfully handling business travel for clients.

2. Cost Efficiency (9/10):

Competitive pricing and cost-effective solutions.
Ability to negotiate discounts with airlines, hotels, and other service providers.
Transparent pricing structures with no hidden fees.

3. Traveler Support and Assistance (9/10):

24/7 availability for traveler support.
Access to a dedicated travel advisor or consultant.
Quick response time to resolve travel-related issues.

4. Technology and Booking Tools (7/10):

User-friendly online booking platforms.
Integration with expense management systems.
Mobile apps for easy on-the-go bookings and itinerary access.

5. Customization and Flexibility (7/10):

Tailored travel solutions to meet your specific business needs.
Ability to accommodate last-minute changes or adjustments.
Flexible policies that align with your company’s travel policy.

6. Traveler Well-being and Safety (9/10):

Implementation of traveler safety measures and risk management.
Access to real-time updates and alerts during travel.
Compliance with health and safety regulations, especially during emergencies.

7. Reporting and Analytics (7/10):

Access to detailed reporting on travel expenses and patterns.
Analytics tools to help identify cost-saving opportunities.
Insights into traveler behavior and preferences for future improvements.

8. Global Reach and Network (7/10):

A wide network of partners and suppliers worldwide.
Capabilities to manage international travel seamlessly.
Knowledge of regional travel nuances and requirements.

9. Client References and Testimonials (7/10):

Positive feedback and references from current clients.
Case studies showcasing successful travel management experiences.
Reputation and credibility within the industry.

10. Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility (5/10):

Commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly travel practices.
Options for carbon offset programs or eco-conscious travel choices.
Alignment with your company’s sustainability goals.

The 10 Best Travel Management Companies for Business Travel

As businesses increasingly shift to a global marketplace, the need for efficient and cost-effective travel management has become more important than ever.

In this new era of globalization, organizations are looking for travel managers who can help them navigate the higher prices and complex logistics of doing business internationally. Here are ten of the best travel management companies for businesses of all sizes:

1. TravelBank

TravelBank offers a comprehensive corporate travel management solution with extensive industry experience that includes expense reports, money management, and booking. With TravelBank, businesses can save time and money while ensuring that their employees have a safe and seamless travel experience.

2. AMEX GBT

If you’re looking for an efficient and reliable way to handle your business travel, AMEX GBT is a great option with a fantastic reputation. Their risk alerts and direct communication during disruptions make them a dependable choice, while their pre-negotiated rates can save you money.

Plus, their customer care operates at a rapid 15-second response time, so you can always get help when you need it. And if you need to cancel your trip last minute, FlexiPerk can get you up to 80% of your money back.

3. SAP Concur

SAP Concur is a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to manage their travel spending. It offers a wide range of features, including booking tools, expense reporting, and invoicing. This makes it an ideal solution for companies that want to streamline their travel process and reduce their expenses.

READ MORE: David Alexander of SAP Concur: Automating Expense and Travel Management Sheds Light on Company Spending Issues

CWT is a 150-year-old company that has a global presence in 150 countries. So it has a fantastic reputation and a wealth of industry experience. It offers a business-to-business-for-employees platform that’s reliable and easy to use. Their myCWT app is accessible on PC and mobile devices, and it allows travelers to book flights and make reservations at 800,000+ properties at special rates.

Egencia is a travel management software that can help businesses keep track of their travelers and their travel data. This can help ensure traveler safety and a smooth travel program. Egencia also offers reports and analytics so that businesses can see how their travelers are performing and where they can make improvements.

6. BCD Travel

BCD Travel offers comprehensive travel management solutions for businesses of all sizes. With offices in 109 countries, BCD Travel is well-positioned to help businesses manage their travel needs worldwide.

Their software suite includes three separate platforms that can be customized to meet the unique needs of your business. Additionally, BCD Travel offers access to APIs to integrate with their platforms, making it easy to get the exact solution you need.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive travel solution for your business, look no further than CTM. They provide online booking tools for corporate travel, making it easy to find a hotel and car rental. With CTM, you can get your business trip organized quickly and easily.

8. TravelPerk

With the world’s largest inventory of travel options and partners with the biggest names in the business, TravelPerk can cater to your every need. Forget about hours wasted researching flights, hotels, and car rentals – let TravelPerk do all the hard work for you.

9. FCM Travel Solution

If you’re looking for great deals on business travel, FCM Travel Solution is the perfect option. With over 650,000 hotel properties and major airline partnerships, FCM can offer you specially negotiated airfares and hotel rates.

Plus, their FCM Connect suite of tools includes a powerful online booking tool and an expense management platform, making trip planning and tracking expenses a breeze.

10. TripActions

TripActions has trusted partner connections and an easy booking process that’ll have you on your way quickly and easily. Plus, if you need any help along the way, TripActions’ customer support is always happy to help.

READ MORE: business travel tips

Factors to consider when choosing a corporate travel management company

When choosing the best corporate travel management solutions for a small business, there are a few key factors to consider.

One of the most important considerations is the travel managers themselves – what experience do they have and what is their knowledge of the travel industry advancements that can save money for your company?

Additionally, it’s important to look at the company’s commitment to traveler wellbeing. Are they offering features like loyalty rewards programs and 24/7 support? Finally, it’s also important to check out the company’s ability to save you money.

Can they offer discounts on airfare, hotels, and car rentals? By considering all of these factors, you can be sure that you’re choosing the best travel management solutions for your business.

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Club Wyndham Travel is another benefit to your ownership. Whether it is assisting you with enhancing your resort vacation with flights, car rentals, and attraction reservations – or going beyond your ownership with cruises, international travels, and guided tours. You are in the driver seat of all your vacation by using our online travel booking tool or calling us at 800-732-0203 to speak with an expert Travel Advisor.

With Club Wyndham Travel, we match all vendor specials and pass along owner-exclusive offers only available when you look with us! Plus, it’s all backed by our Best Price Guarantee *. If you find the same trip at a lower rate, let us know within 48 hours of booking with Club Wyndham Travel and we'll refund the difference. You may have heard of PlusPartner travel benefits where you have the opportunity to do an all points transaction with specific vendors, but have you heard of PlusPoints? You have the opportunity to use PlusPoints, where owners with PlusPartners benefits can use a combination of points + cash for select cruises, tours, and activities. This travel payment option allows you to use points with various vendors and various travel types.

Club Wyndham Travel Live Webinar

Learn how to maximize your vacations with Club Wyndham Travel. Join your Education Team on August 29th at 6 pm ET.

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Unlocking Your Vacation Potential:

Learn how to get the most out of Club Wyndham Travel on a live webinar and maximize your vacations! Join your Education Team on August 29th at 6 pm ET.

Catch the Wave: Exclusive Cruise Deals Await!

Explore exclusive cruise offers on any new Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, or Royal Caribbean Cruise Line booking! Featuring bonus onboard credits and point utilization options. Seize unbeatable savings by reserving and paying off your cruise by April 1, 2024.

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Cruises, Tours, & More

Step into the world of PlusPoints and discover a different method to pay for your travel using a combination of points + cash.

A smiling couple wearing sunglasses on a cruise looking out over the ocean with a city and mountain in the distance.

Discover the best cruise destinations. Adventure on the open ocean. Go play in breathtaking ports of call. When you're ready to set sail, start your search here.

A woman wearing a hat looking over a city and water on a river cruise.

See the world from its waterways. Get going on a river cruise and experience captivating destinations around the globe — gliding past castles, wineries, and breathtaking scenery.

Spark your sense of exploration when you book owner-exclusive tours. Experience exciting itineraries in a variety of cities, complete with your own local guide.

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Around-the-world adventures are calling. Whether you're looking for a romantic getaway or a family vacation — these activities are a great way to see the best of your destination.

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Land & Sea Inspirations

Elevate your vacation by pairing your cruise with a luxurious stay at one of our Club Wyndham resorts or venture into new accommodations that promise unparalleled comfort and style. Club Wyndham Travel redefines the art of travel, allowing you to create your own harmonious escape where land and sea unite in perfect harmony.

Additional Travel Services

Your exclusive travel agency makes adventure even easier, with booking services for hotels, car rentals, and flights. Get your reservation on the books by using the online travel booking tool or calling 800-732-0203 .

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Signature Deals & Packages

Enhance your travels. Travel your way. These signature deals and packages are where you can find a variety of rotating promotional offers.

Two woman with their arms up jump into a lake on a trip with Club Wyndham Travel Packages.

Online travel booking.

Book flights, rental cars, hotels, cruises, and more — all online. Simply choose your service, enter trip details, compare, and book.

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Best Price Guarantee

Learn about Club Wyndham Travel's Best Price Guarantee !

Learn about WorldMark by Wyndham Travel's Best Price Guarantee!

Important Information:

Club Wyndham Travel can be contacted at 800-732-0203 , Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Pricing is subject to change and will vary across services, travel partners, and itineraries.
Cancellation policies vary based on the individual partner and will be reviewed at the time of booking.
Taxes and fees will be collected at the time of booking.
All fees are non-refundable.
A $55 change fee will be assessed to update an existing flight reservation booked with Club Wyndham Travel.

110% Best Price Guarantee Terms & Conditions

The 110% Best Price Guarantee is available only for exact itinerary matches on cruise, tour, hotel, car rental, and activity bookings. All booking details, including the following, must exactly match the details of the product you booked with Club Wyndham Travel: specific carrier or provider (including class of service), hotel (including room type and cancellation policy), cruise line (including ship, cabin category and rate category), rental car company and vehicle class, applicable refund policy, dates and times of travel or service, routings (such as same stopovers), and same travelers.

The lower rate must be available for booking at the time you contact us, as determined by Club Wyndham Travel. You must contact us within 48 hours of purchase during our business hours of Monday - Friday from 8am - 8pm ET by calling 800-732-0203. Qualifying products and itineraries must be advertised and publicly available at the time of your call. The following do not qualify as lower rates:

Rates that are booked through a membership-based association, corporate/meeting discount, group program, rewards or incentive program, charter, consolidator, interline, military, student, government or tour operator fares, coupons, bulk rate, auction site, priced using coupon or any other rates or promotions not offered to the general public.
A website which requires you to call to get the rate, or from a promotional email.

The qualifying lower rate must be quoted and booked in U.S. dollars (without reference to currency converters). All travel must originate in the United States. Our 110% Best Price Guarantee applies only to the base cost of the travel product. It does not include taxes and fees or any additional items. Onboard amenities, gift cards/certificates, cash back and/or dollars off are not eligible toward lower price.

In the event that a rate or offer has residency, age and/or other requirements, to qualify the Our 110% Best Price Guarantee , you must meet all such requirements applicable to that rate or offer. Club Wyndham Travel reserves the right in its sole discretion to modify or discontinue the 110% Best Price Guarantee policy or to restrict its availability to any person, at any time, for any or no reason, and without prior notice or liability. Any changes will be advertised on the Club Wyndham website. For the 110% Best Price Guarantee policy to apply, Club Wyndham Travel must be able to verify that competitors' rates and offers are available for purchase at the time you wish to utilize the 110% Best Price Guarantee .

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Should You Use a Credit Card Travel Portal?

Unlock the details of credit card travel portals and learn how to maximize your benefits.

Using a Credit Card Travel Portal

Happy couple at home booking a trip online using their laptop computer.

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Using a credit card portal to book travel could help you save money and help you earn more points or redeem travel credits.

Key Takeaways

Credit card travel portals search across multiple travel options, giving you the power to compare prices.
You can use your credit card or rewards to book travel with your credit card issuer's travel portal.
Some cards may offer travel credits and benefits when you book using the associated travel portal.

You have many options for booking travel, whether you want to book directly with airlines and hotels, use an online travel agency or book with your credit card's travel portal. Using a credit card travel portal may allow you to take advantage of cardholder benefits and credits and give you additional choices for your booking.

Understand how to use credit card travel portals to save money on your next trip and maybe get some elevated perks along the way – but also recognize when it doesn't make sense.

What Are Credit Card Travel Portals?

Similar to online travel agencies, such as Expedia or Booking.com, credit card travel portals are online travel booking platforms. Cardholders can use credit card travel portals to browse and book travel options, including flights, hotels, rental cars and experiences using your credit card or rewards.

Credit card travel portals include:

American Express Travel.
Capital One Travel.
Chase Travel.
Citi Travel.

Some credit cards offer cardholder savings or perks when you book travel using the issuer's credit card portal, such as travel credits or cardholder privileges, including free breakfast or late checkout.

How Credit Card Travel Portals Stack Up

When you use a credit card travel portal, the amount and method of payment may be the deciding factors in how you book. Using a credit card travel portal to book travel can save you money, but not always.

We compared a midweek economy flight from Los Angeles to New York and a weeklong stay at a three-star hotel in Manhattan. In some cases, credit card travel portals were competitive, but Expedia had the lowest overall price for flight and hotel costs on this test trip.

Still, this is just one example, and travel prices can fluctuate depending on how you book. It's always a good idea to compare all of your options.

Benefits of Credit Card Travel Portals

Booking your travel with a credit card travel portal can help you earn more points or redeem travel credits. Some examples:

Cardholders of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card get a $300 annual travel credit for bookings through the Capital One Travel site. When booking on the Capital One Travel site, cardholders earn unlimited 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars and 5 miles per dollar on flights. ( See Rates and Fees )
With The Platinum Card ® from American Express , cardholders get a $200 annual hotel credit for prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel and earn five points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. ( See Rates and Fees )
Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card holders get a $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit and earn five points per dollar on Chase Travel purchases.

"Using the travel credits is huge," says JT Genter, editor in chief of rewards and travel tracking tool AwardWallet. "Card issuers are leaning more towards those only being accessible through the portal."

Credit card travel portal bookings may help your points go further, too. "Because I have a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, when I use the (Chase) portal to book travel, my points get an extra 25% bump," says Chip Chinery, personal finance blogger at Chip's Money Tips. For example, you'd only pay 100,000 points for a flight or hotel that would require 125,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book without the points boost.

Helpful features can add up to savings on credit card travel portals. For example, Capital One Travel offers a price match guarantee. Genter used the Capital One Travel price match feature on a flight from Cairo to Marrakech, Morocco. Although he booked with Capital One Travel, an online travel agency had a better price. He was able to price match with Capital One Travel to get a travel credit.

Genter points out that cardholders of The Platinum Card from American Express can take advantage of the International Airline Program for potential savings on international flights in first, business or premium economy.

You may also get benefits for booking with credit card travel portals, particularly when booking hotels. For example:

Cardholders of The Platinum Card from American Express get elite benefits at participating hotels, including early check-in, room upgrades, breakfast for two, a $100 experience credit, complimentary Wi-Fi and guaranteed 4 p.m. check-out.
If you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve ® , you can book The Edit properties through Chase Travel and receive benefits, including daily breakfast for two, a $100 on-property credit, room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Drawbacks of Credit Card Travel Portals

Travel credits and on-property perks are compelling reasons to use a credit card travel portal. However, it pays to compare pricing among your card's portal, direct booking or an online travel agency, because the lowest-priced option depends on the trip you're taking. Also, you may forfeit some benefits, as credit card travel portals are third-party bookings.

With a third-party booking, you'll have less flexibility in customer service and cancellation than you would if you booked directly. For example, if you're dealing with a delayed flight and need service from the airline, you may be directed to the travel portal customer service. You may have limited options for cancellation and how you get your money or rewards back.

Another major point to consider with third-party bookings: You generally won't be able to earn points or miles with the airline or hotel, though you can earn points with your card. Additionally, you may not be able to use elite benefits for any status you hold. For example, if you have Hilton Honors status that entitles you to a daily food and beverage credit, you're not likely to get it when you book a stay with your credit card travel portal.

When to Use a Credit Card Travel Portal

Booking travel with a credit card travel portal can make sense in some scenarios. For instance:

You want to compare your travel options across multiple airlines or hotels in the portal.
You have a travel credit available that can only be redeemed through the issuer's travel portal.
You have rewards you want to redeem on the portal, and booking this way offers a good redemption value.
You want to take advantage of benefits, such as elite hotel perks that you can get when using a credit card travel portal.
Your booking options on the portal are priced lower compared with other options.
Booking on the portal earns elevated rewards, and the prices and benefits are comparable to those of other booking options.

"It makes sense if you want to take advantage of the credits but also to earn bonus points," says Genter. "And sometimes, they have promotions such as hyper-targeted offers."

Tags: credit cards

Comparative assessments and other editorial opinions are those of U.S. News and have not been previously reviewed, approved or endorsed by any other entities, such as banks, credit card issuers or travel companies. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired.

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7 Personal Benefits of Travel

Travel Sharpens the Mind

A Shift in Perspective

A Chance to Try New Things

Meet New People

See the Real Deal

Exercise and Sunshine

Come Home Renewed

22 Benefits of Traveling

1. Travel Makes You Happier

2. Traveling Improves Your Communication Skills

3. Travel Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety

4. Travel Makes Your Life Feel Longer

5. Travel Helps You Achieve Peace of Mind

6. Travel Enhances Your Creativity

7. Travel Allows You to Try Excellent Food

8. Traveling Has Physical Health Benefits

9. International Travel Makes You More Tolerant and Understanding of Different People and Cultures

10. Get Real-World Experience and Real-Life Education

11. You’ll Understand Yourself More When You Travel

12. Travel Boosts Your Self Confidence

13. Travel Helps You Get Out of the Rut of Everyday Life

14. Travel Expands Your Social Network

15. Personal Development

16. Travel Teaches Us to Appreciate Nature and the Earth

17. World Travel Makes you Appreciate Your Home Even More

18. Travel Helps You Find a New Purpose

19. Expand Your Horizons and Try New Things

20. Travel Lets Us Take a Break from the Rat Race and Recharge

21. You Can Learn a New Language

22. You’ll Make Lifetime Memories

15 Benefits of Travelling and Why Travel Is Good for You

The Health Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Improves Your Health and Mind

The Advantages of Travelling: Travelling Improves Your Communication and Language Skills in Many Ways

The Benefits of Travelling: Hedonistic Travel Ensures Peace, Calms Your Mind and Encourages Positive Feelings

Why Travelling is Good? International Travelling Boosts Creativity through Experiences

The Benefits of Travelling Abroad: Travelling Enhances Your Tolerance towards Different People and New Cultures

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Is a Great Way to Boost Your Confidence

The Importance of Travelling: You Get Real-life Education from Travelling to a New Place

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Make Memories from New Experiences

Why Travel is Good for You - How Travelling Helps You Understand Yourself More is Very Important

The Benefits of Travelling: Travelling Helps Reduce Stress and Eases Anxiety

Why People Are Travelling - Travelling Gets You out of a Rut of Daily Life

The Benefits of Travelling: World Travel Teaches Us to Appreciate the Beauty and Fragility of Nature and the Earth

Why Is Travelling Important? Travelling Helps You Find a New Purpose and Forces You to Take Action

Travel Makes You Embrace Your Home and Ordinary Life More - One of The Advantages of Travelling

The Benefits of Travelling: You May Find the Love of Your Life When You Travel and Meet New People

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Why is Travel Important? Here Are 7 Important Benefits of Traveling

1. Travel Makes You Happier

2. Travel Lets You Disconnect & Recharge

3. Traveling Relieves Stress and Anxiety

4. Travel Exposes You to New Things

5. Travel Exposes Others to New Things

6. Travel Makes You Physically Healthier