A recent survey by Skyscanner has revealed that holiday planning has become one of the most significant decisions of the year for Spaniards. This phenomenon has led the company to coin the term “Wanderlost”, which describes the frustration and confusion experienced by travelers in the face of the overwhelming amount of options available, turning what should be a pleasant experience into a source of stress.
The study points out that January is the decisive month for travel organization, with 41% of Spaniards planning to make decisions about their holidays during this period. Interestingly, 65% have decided to use their New Year’s resolutions as a driving force to structure their holiday plans, considering it as fundamental as financial planning (34%), a career change (32%), or a move (31%).
Furthermore, it was revealed that, on average, 26% of Spaniards dedicate a month to planning their annual holidays. This data emphasizes the complexity of this task for 41% of the surveyed travelers, who confess to investing more time in organizing their getaways than in making decisions about significant purchases, such as buying a home. During this planning experience, respondents face various obstacles, such as fear of missing out on better deals (80%), economic concerns (97%), and indecision, as 89% admit that overthinking prevents them from moving forward, often causing them to miss valuable opportunities.
To mitigate the stress of holiday planning, Skyscanner has partnered with neuroscientist Dr. Faye Begeti, who explains that organizing a trip can be overwhelming due to the multitude of decisions to make. The specialist explains that this “mental juggling” can deplete people’s cognitive resources, turning the usual excitement of planning a trip into fatigue and frustration.
To help travelers manage their anxiety, Begeti proposes five effective strategies: simplifying options to avoid decision fatigue, prioritizing important decisions in moments of higher mental energy, selecting destinations that match the traveler’s emotional state, using the anticipation of the trip as a source of happiness, and finally, daring to break with routine by exploring unexpected places that can offer memorable experiences.
With these practical tips, holiday planning not only becomes more bearable, but also better adapts to the unique needs of each traveler, fostering an enriching and stress-free holiday experience.
via: MiMub in Spanish
