Just got out of a relationship? At a crossroads in your career? Stuck in an overall life rut? Book a trip to a new destination or hit the road solo for the first time. Because according to the results of a new survey, the thrill of stepping out of your comfort zone is the key to rebuilding your confidence, broadening your horizons and ultimately finding success.
Those are the findings of a new global survey, which asked more than 15,000 respondents in 20 countries to share how first-time travel -- be it their first time traveling abroad, to a new destination, or traveling solo -- changed their lives.
In the survey, commissioned by online site Booking.com, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) agreed that undertaking a new travel experience helped increase their confidence.
Respondents also said their experiences helped them meet new people (40 percent); cook and eat new types of food (43 percent); learn a new language (29 percent); and inspired them to learn about another culture (29 percent).
The inverse is also true, with 61 percent agreeing that people who are well-traveled tend to be more interesting compared to homebodies who've never gone abroad. Nearly half (45 percent) also perceived globetrotters as more successful in their lives and careers.
Some of the respondents who stepped out of their comfort zone to undertake a new travel challenge also reaped dramatic rewards, with one in 10 reporting that a first-time travel experience has led to a new job or relationship.
For a sizeable 21 percent, their travel experience was also credited with a life move to a completely new destination.
"The adrenalin and confidence boost that traveling somewhere for the first time gives us makes it irresistible. Our first time travel experiences open our minds, sparks our imagination and inspires us to continue trying something new or change direction in life. Once you catch the travel bug it's simply contagious," said Pepijn Rijvers, chief marketing officer at Booking.com.
In another Booking.com survey of 12,780 people, nearly half (45 percent) of respondents said they plan to be more adventurous in 2017 and try new things.
The most popular first-time experiences cited among respondents included volunteering trips (21 percent), spiritual adventures (23 percent), eco-tours (39 percent), and road trips (44 percent).
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