Why do we travel

why do we travel
Why do we travel? Photo by Chili.

Why do we travel? | Sure, tourism helps economies. Several countries benefit in large parts from tourism in an economic context. But that’s not the reason for you to pack your bag and ride into the unknown. There have been 999 million international tourist arrivals counted last year. We didn’t ask all of those tourists about the reasons for their journeys. But those we asked had this to say:

Why do we travel
Why do we travel?

#1: to see new places.  A combination of curiosity and the expectation of having wow moments drives us out the door straight to the next airport.

#2: to relax from stress.  The urge to flee from work or even from the daily grind at home came in as second highest entry in our list.

#3: for adventures.  Especially the younger explorers named this as their main reason for a vacation. Rock climbing, scuba diving, surfing, bungee jumping, snow boarding … any kind of adrenalin enhancing activity is fine.

#4: for party.  The next five reasons did cross the line kind of together. Each got roughly 5% of the pie. Again it was the younger folks in need of parties to make a journey worth taking.

#5: for sexual encounters.  For many young man (and some women) seeking sexual satisfaction is a legit reason to buy an airline ticket and relax abroad. Preferred destinations in this category: Thailand, Brazil, Kenya, Philippines, Dominican Republic. But it doesn’t end there. Almost every country has places reserved for these kinds of tourists.

#6: for gambling.  Las Vegas is the blue print. But other tourist destinations catch up and get a fair share: Macau, Monaco, Reno, Singapore, just to name a few.

#7: for food.  Satisfying your taste buds can be a valid reason that drives you to far-away places. High on the foody-travelers list are San Francisco, Montreal, Singapore, Paris, Bangkok – those ‘melting pot’ places, you know ;)

#8: to learn a foreign language.  Last not least this one might surprise you. But quite a few travelers use vacations to improve their language skills.

Conclusion: Each of us might travel for different reasons but generally the majority of those reasons listed is centered around the idea of experiencing new things and relax.

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Why do we travel. By Chili & Chirp | Hugging Horizons since 2004