View from Yurt at Orca Island Cabins in Alaska
While perusing a report written by the U.S. Travel Association, I learned a few remarkable things about the personal and economic benefits of travel.
About 60 million people enter the U.S. every year for personal travel purposes. Almost 15 million U.S. jobs are supported by the travel industry. And close to 2 trillion dollars are spent every year on U.S. travel-related products and services. The economic impact is clear. Travel is among the top revenue generating industries and has the power to influence the nation’s growth. Here’s an interesting tidbit…without the revenue generated by travel and tourism, U.S. citizens would pay an average of $1,000 more in taxes every year!
But enough of numbers, what about the personal benefits? Is it possible that leisure travel can improve your overall life? According to this report, yes.
Leisure travel, and by “leisure travel” I of course mean glamping (bias acknowledged), can boost our quality of life in the following ways:
Happiness. What person, upon finding themselves sitting on a pristine, white sand beach outside of their private thatched hut with a glass of champagne in one hand and favorite book in the other, would say, “wow, I’m really depressed”?
Bedroom at Hana Lani Treehouses in Maui
Knowledge. Do you know how a yurt is constructed? Have you ever tended an organic garden? Do you know how to distinguish between a cheetah and a leopard? Going glamping is one of the ultimate ways to learn by adventure.
Health. Did you know that even the anticipation of a future trip increases mental wellbeing? Did you know that only two days of vacation can lower both blood pressure and heart rate? Imagine what a week in a luxury tree house would do!
So not only are you giving a lift to the economy by glamping, you’re also promoting your own personal wellbeing. What are you waiting for?
Posted by on 12/19/2011 4:37:46 AM