Many mental health sufferers in the UK are boosted by the return of holidays in the UK.
With Autumn upon us and darker, shorter and colder days and nights, research shows how booking a holiday can improve your mood, stress and anxiety levels.
Research has also shown that booking a holiday can improve your mental state and your productivity at work.
This comes as excellent news, as recent surveys conducted by travel agency Travel Department show that travellers are now comfortable to return to international travel and are optimistic that the travel industry will return to pre-pandemic levels in the coming months.
The survey findings show that 61% of respondents believe that holiday travel will return to pre-covid levels by the second half of 2022.
The results also showed that 71% of respondents feel as though they are “losing time” at this stage of their life by not being able to travel.
Additionally, 39% of respondents say the pandemic has made them want to visit more places on their travel list.
Sara Zimmerman, CEO of Travel Department, said that there’s been a significant uplift in holiday bookings and that customers are becoming more comfortable about international travel:
We actively listened to our customers throughout the pandemic and understand that some people may have lingering anxieties about travel, so we’ve gone the extra mile to ensure we take care of everything.
We have created dedicated pages on our website outlining travel requirements by country and taking steps to keep our customers safe while abroad.
This new research confirms: “holidays are great for our wellbeing, and not just while we’re away, but from the moment we start planning.
Many of our customers are already benefitting with firm bookings for next year, and we look forward to welcoming many more back over the coming weeks and months.”
She added: “These signs of holiday travel returning to normality are also to be seen in Italy, one of the most popular holiday destinations for the UK and Ireland at the moment.
Cornwall University also researched and found that planning a holiday can improve mental health and make us feel better about our social and economic means.
According to Jessica De Bloom, Academy Research Fellow in the University of Groningen, holidays not only benefit people’s health but make them happier as well.
The benefits of a well-needed trip away don’t just come into effect once the holiday has begun and are seen as soon as you start researching accommodation, scrolling through Instagram hashtags or booking your annual leave from work.
The pandemic has impacted people’s attitudes and actions towards travel.
Many people share a feeling that life is short and the desire to see more of the world, with some ready to travel.
Have any mental health sufferers in the UK booked a holiday due to poor mental health? Where did you book? Let us know in the comments below?