The research, which questioned 17,000 people from 17 countries, revealed that for the majority, travel experiences brings more lasting happiness than material things (70%).
Will a vacation give you more happiness than you experienced on your wedding day?
Or will that week on the beach in Bali make you feel better than the day you were hand-picked for a new job?
For some people, this seems to be the case according to global research commissioned by Booking.com which reveals that travel gives us such an emotional boost, we consider planning and going away on vacation more vital for our happiness than other big life occasions – such as our own wedding day (49%), going on a date with your partner (51%), landing a new job (50%), getting engaged (45%), and even having a baby (29%).
The research, which questioned 17,000 people from 17 countries, revealed that for the majority, travel experiences brings more lasting happiness than material things (70%).
Which explains why most people (56%) prioritise vacations over possessions such as clothes, jewellery and gadgets, while almost half (48%) rank travel over home improvements.
More than half (56%) agree they feel happiest when booking their vacation, underlining the importance of instant booking when it comes to securing an ideal stay.
Shawn Achor, one of the world’s leading experts on happiness, New York Times bestselling author and speaker known for his advocacy of positive psychology explains, "Study after study has indicated that there is a huge boost to happiness in the "anticipatory phase" which occurs while planning and visualising a trip.
“This new Booking.com research shows how significant this boost really is.
“Based on a decade of research, the greatest competitive advantage in the modern world is a positive and engaged brain. In fact, I recently found that people who take all of their vacation days are not only happier, they are 34% more likely to receive a bonus over the next three years. Happy travel pays."