When asked which they'd rather experience this year, almost three quarters (71%) of global travelers would prefer to go on a vacation than to find true love, rising to 84% for holiday-hungry Spanish, 77% for travelers from
But the love of travel doesn't end there, as two thirds (74%) would choose a vacation over a promotion at work, and over half (53%) would pick a trip away over dinner with extended family despite months of limited interactions with our loved ones. When it comes to stepping off the career ladder and jetting off, it's travelers from
The missed senses of travel
And when those 'would you rather' questions become a reality and travel is back on the table, it's the little experiences that travelers are most looking forward to. Top of the list for a third (30%) of travelers is the 'smell of vacation', that waft of heat and scents that awaken our senses to the fact we're somewhere totally new. Some travelers are even more keen than others to come to their travel senses, with over half of Croatians (57%), and 45% of Brazilians most anticipating that first sniff of vacation.
Holiday sights are clearly missed too, from fashion to frolics. Global travelers are also yearning for the chance to wear vacation clothing (17%) and indulge in a holiday romance (8%). Those most likely to be looking for more than a destination to fall in love with on their next trip and missing the opportunity for a holiday romance are Vietnamese (36%), Israeli (32%) and Chinese (32%) travelers.
Unexpectedly missing the 'hassles' of traveling
When it comes to our love of travel, we are even excited about experiencing some of the traditionally less fun aspects of a trip again. Top of the list is trying new foods for the first time and not liking them (13%), killing time in an airport waiting for the flight to board (20%) and the feeling of sand that is too hot to walk on barefoot (19%). It's Colombians (36%) and Mexicans (30%) who are most looking forward to that less than delicious local delicacy, while Koreans (28%) and Singaporeans (26%) are keen to be killing time dawdling at the airport before a flight.
But it's not just local delicacies for which global travelers have an appetite when traveling, 17% are also looking forward to airplane meals as well as getting up in the middle of the night to catch an early flight (14%). The challenge or excitement that comes with trying to overcome communication barriers with locals is an unexpected missed experience of travel for 10% of global travelers, with
While travel has been paused, it's given us food for thought on what is truly missed about our getaways; from the functional to the fun, room service to romance. It's even meant that travel has become top priority for many over true love and career development. Many have been left longing to discover the places, cultures and experiences we've all been missing, when the time is right, and when we'll be able to go from 'wish I was there' to 'wish you were here'.
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