A recent American study performed in August shows that traveling holds a much more important place in people's minds than previously thought. While other research placed emphasis on vacation time and took a quantitative approach to the issue, the Globus study, aptly named ‘Time to Tour’ surveying 3,382 travelers tried to answer more important questions when it comes to Americans and their traveling preferences.
Some of the answers to the 10 questions of the study were surprising and underlined the fact that traveling takes precedence over many other leisure activities, at least for people in the U.S. When asked what barriers they face that prevent them from their much desired journeys, 18 percent blamed issues related to family or health, 24 percent stated that their wallets were just not thick enough, while an impressive 44 percent declared that they had no such barriers and that for them traveling comes first.
Whether they were able to travel or not, a vast majority of respondents, 97 percent to be exact, stated that vacations are clearly a must and that they certainly deserved one, while 91 percent of U.S. citizens taking part in the study felt that they needed more time for traveling than they currently have.
While, for now, many still entertain the notion that traveling is mostly used as a form of escapism from one's mundane activities and a good way to eliminate or reduce the stress that accumulates at work, this study reveals quite a different result. A whopping 93 percent of those asked, see vacations not as a way to escape from something, but as a way to experience firsthand the wonders of other cultures, different types of cuisine and traditions, things they've only known about but never tried. The remaining 7 percent out of the hundred did state that vacations are a great means for relaxation.
When it comes to preferred destinations, the answers differ. Only 16 percent of those asked would rather travel across the U.S. while 28 percent felt a little more adventurous, choosing destinations like Africa and South America. 56 percent of Americans would much rather take a trip to Europe.
Destinations aside, most of the U.S. citizens who took part in the research consider traveling to have a positive effect on people. 70 percent of them consider that vacations can be used to better themselves while 85 percent think that traveling can bring more happiness into their lives.
When asked what they would change about their earlier years, respondents older than 55 years said that they would have enjoyed traveling more (47 percent), a number much higher than the 31 percent that would have dedicated more time to their close ones or the 20 percent that needed more alone time.