Travel experiences are more intense than the first kiss

How important are travel experiences for our emotional well-being? The online marketplace for travel experiences “GetYourGuide” asked itself this question and commissioned a corresponding study. The special thing about it: It is based on artificial intelligence. The results of the AI ​​study are amazing.

On behalf of GetYourGuide, the analysis platform Tawny used artificial intelligence to compare the intensity of memories. The result: travel experiences trigger similar positive emotions as the first kiss or the victory of your favorite sports club.

A total of 298 participants from Germany, Great Britain and the USA were interviewed as part of the AI ​​study. Respondents were asked to remember various events in their lives and rate them on a scale from one (very negative) to ten (very positive).

AI study examines the intensity of travel experiences and memories

At the same time, their facial expressions were recorded with a webcam and analyzed by an algorithm that determined the expression of six basic emotions (joy, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust). For almost half of all participants (47 percent), special travel experiences triggered stronger emotions than the memory of the first kiss.

For 42 percent of those surveyed, travel experiences were one of the three most emotionally intense memories. In addition, for 14 percent, memories of travel triggered even stronger emotions than memories of the moment they held their newborn child in their arms for the first time.

Travel experiences more emotional than professional success

In contrast, memories of professional successes or formative career steps evoked significantly less strong emotional reactions. This suggests that travel experiences rank higher for personal happiness and satisfaction than work achievements.

“The first kiss and a special travel experience have important psychological similarities. Both are multisensory, trigger a feeling of elation and represent a critical new experience that you have not had before,” explains Anja Göritz, Chair of Behavioral Health Technology at the University of Augsburg, and added:

Putting yourself in situations where such rich feelings are experienced can have a positive impact on emotional well-being. These types of experiences are also the ones that are likely to form long-term ‘cherished’ memories.

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