Does travelling make you happy?

A Dutch study also attempted to discover if a vacation actually makes a person happier. What they discovered was that for about 8 weeks prior to the vacation and 3 weeks after a vacation, people reported much higher levels of happiness. They even suggested spreading the annual vacation into smaller, micro-vacations so the happiness associated with the anticipation of a vacation could spread happiness throughout the year.

However, it appears that people are sabotaging their own chances of happiness and the associated health benefits of travel by perusing petty issues and making big, many times public complaints. Once upon a time, when commercial travel was in its infancy, a journey to Africa from Europe could take up to 40 days. A flight from London to Brisbane in 1938 took 11 days and included over two dozen scheduled stops and cost the equivalent of US$20,000 adjusted for inflation. Today, even the slightest of hiccups or delays will ignite the fury of angry travellers who feel offended and slighted at this affront. Holiday-makers often seem to have lost the ability to roll with the punches and see travel as a journey, not a destination.

Of course there is no excuse for false advertising, impolite staff, poor safety, lack of hygienic or inferior products. However, increasingly we are seeing travel complaints on the rise, and it seems they are often about things that companies can’t control such as unseasonal weather conditions and range to things like staff diversity, even in a foreign country. Dealing with complaints about issues beyond a company’s control is very emotionally draining for everyone involved, both for guests and staff. Yet worse still, it robs the guest of their chance to avail of the wonderful benefits of travel and sabotages their most important motivation to travel in the first place – to relax.

Platinum Heritage as a Company have embraced 2018 as the Year of Positivity. A positive attitude and behavior is contagious and creates a tremendously advantageous flow-on effect for everyone. As Travelers, we should also adopt this attitude for the sake of our own enjoyment. Embrace your sense of adventure to make the most of a situation out of everyone’s control. Fog, rain, wind, traffic jams and the occasional dash of human error will occur but will rarely seriously impact your enjoyment of an activity. If there is anything that did not meet your expectations and you feel you either did not get value for money or hope that the company can learn from your experience, pick up the phone and talk to the company or send a quick email so they can learn from you. Bottling it up and then ranting on TripAdvisor, Facebook or travel forums is negative for everyone involved.

The important thing is, when on your holiday, don’t get yourself upset or angry over small issues. Explain your anger instead of expressing it, and you will find solutions instead of arguments. Platinum Heritage’s aim is to provide unforgettable experiences and we will be just as disappointed as you if we are not able to do this. We want you to enjoy your vacation, relax and resolve any issues you may have. We are your travel partners and want the same thing as you – for you to have the best vacation experience ever, to enjoy the best of Dubai and to be excited about your adventures!