Published: Mi 08 Mai 2013 at 17:37
Updated: Mi 08 Mai 2013 at 17:38
A recent survey suggests that, given the choice between buying a house, getting married or booking cheap flights to Corfu, most British people would rate the Greek getaway as the thing that would make them most happy.
The survey, conducted by a holiday company, was inspired by the first UN International Day of Happiness, which took place on March 20th. The aim was to see how travel impacts on people’s happiness, both in the British Isles and worldwide. The surprising result was that Britons rate it very highly indeed – 88% of us rated it as an important factor in being happy, compared to a global average of 83%. Nearly three quarters of British respondents said it was the most important thing of all, coming way ahead of getting married (8%), buying their own home (7%) or having a baby (6%).
The survey also revealed that 30% of British travellers are happiest venturing alone, compared to 25% of people elsewhere. Travelling with family members was a definite turn-off, with only 3% of respondents expressing a preference for this option. Meanwhile, 8% of those in a relationship said they still prefer to go solo when it came to travelling.
The results are confirmation of the UK’s long-term love of travel, which goes right back to the ‘Grand Tours’ of the 18th century, when aristocratic young blades would take off to the Continent in search of adventure. Back then, of course, only the rich could afford to travel for pleasure. Today, Jet2.com offers cheap flights to Corfu, Rhodes, and many other international destinations, so anyone can have a smile on their face.
