Almost a million Australians have admitted to making life-changing decisions they later regretted after taking a flight longer than 10 hours, prompting renewed interest in stopover destinations.
The research, commissioned by Singapore Tourism Board, reveals GenY travelers are twice as likely than older Aussies to make a decision such as changing jobs, getting out of a relationship or moving overseas only to regret it later after travelling on a flight longer than 10 hours.
“Gen Y’s have grown up in a fast paced environment with an inherent sense of immediacy. As the psychological literature shows, they have expectations that are loftier and perhaps more unrealistic than those of older adults. For those Gen Y's whose minds are still developing, the changing structure and function of their brains may also contribute to the impulsive, reward driven decision making seen in this study,” Clinical psychologist, Dr Melissa Keogh said.
The study found 1.3 million Australians admitted to behaving irrationally, more than 3 million have felt depressed at being home and 1.1 million have missed their first day back at work as a result of travelling on a flight for 10 hours or more.
Around 87% of Australians who travelled overseas in the last two years said they would now consider a stopover, with 50% saying a stopover holiday would help to prevent irrational behaviour.
“After having had space and time away from our everyday lives, which are often viewed as mundane in comparison to a relaxing or adventurous holiday, people can return and feel like they need to make a major change in their life. The consequences are not always positive and unfortunately, as we’ve seen from the research results, the decisions may be regretted down the track,” Dr Keogh said.
“I would encourage people to take time after returning from a holiday before committing to a major decision to ensure they are well rested, have adjusted to their home coming and have thoroughly thought through the consequences and implications of any proposed major life changes."
Two thirds of overseas travellers state the key benefit of a stopover holiday was “to relax and recharge”, and over half believed it was a cost-effective option to see another city or country.
