Listen to this Article
How do we choose holiday locations that have meaning beyond a romance novel on the beach?
When it comes to vacation planning, sometimes relaxation in the sun and escaping deep into the pages of your book with an occasional nap is the best plan. Some travelers might prefer an adrenaline rush of mountain biking through jungle trails. Deciding on the destination is often secondary to the experience that travellers are looking for, and with so many quick fix holidays options, it can be daunting to make that final choice. Shouldn’t those valuable vacation days be dedicated to something meaningful in addition to relaxation and adventure?
Finding purpose in travel is exhilarating and unique to each traveller. But it does take a little thought and research ahead of time. Having too many activities can be exhausting, too few can be boring and experiences without value to you are simply too easy to forget. Relaxation is one thing, but the experience of learning and helping others can have a more lasting impact. Gone are the days of buying a package holiday that you can’t customize with your own narrative. Holidays should leave you with stories and easy ways to relive them for that lasting impression. Focusing on what makes positive experiences for you can make the planning a lot more efficient. Start off with a few questions and you’ll be surprised at the direction your trip planning will go.
1. Is it more important for me to stay in one location or explore multiple places?
2.When I imagine this holiday, I envision how many of the following?
- Nature
- Architecture
- Food Trucks
- Meeting Locals
- Solitude
- Fine dining
- Shopping
- Learning
- Parties
- Sports
- Wildlife
- Pampering
- Mementos
- Spontaneous
- Adventure
3. I will get more value from this get-away being planned as a trip of a lifetime or a yearly recharge.
4. When I return home from this trip and I tell my friends/family all about the adventures, I’ll be most excited and proud of ________.
5. What do I want to avoid or simply not do?
In defining more of your trip needs, your travel purpose will become a little clearer and you’ll be able to answer the most important question; why are you travelling? Often this answer leads us to more life answers as we discover characteristics about ourselves. “I travel because I learn about interesting people and unique places, the added bonus is that I learn about my own chosen needs of appreciating nature and having mementos at home that make me smile”.
Travel purpose can change for each trip just as people evolve in their own lifetime. Financial security, new passions and different influences throughout a year can trigger travel needs to be re-prioritized. Staying on top of what is most meaningful to each individual travelling, results in more impactful travels.
Experiencing travel with purpose also frees us from pressures of life as we appreciate the now and embrace being inspired by new sights, sounds and flavours. This vigor gained from new locations often gives us a better perspective of challenges in our day-to-day life. So, it always comes back to, ‘Is this experience enriching me, and how can I incorporate more of this back home?’ Some travellers may start cooking differently after tasting new flavours. Other travellers may find continued meaning in giving back to the communities they have visited and fundraising or educating others. It can be as simple as sharing some inspirational photos or writing a thank you to a host you met along the way. It most often is about people connecting in a chosen place.
The characters in a book may not change your life, but what you do on a holiday sure can. So, define your travel needs and make a lasting plan. Your future self will thank you.