Going on vacation would have the effect of therapy for people with fragile mental health. This concept of “Travel Therapy” is supported by recent Australian research that links the experiences of traveling with certain therapies recommended by specialists for people suffering from mental health problems, such as dementia.
What if tourism brings real benefits for our mental health? “Travel therapy”, literally “travel therapy”, is increasingly convincing health specialists. A study from Edith Cowan University (ECU), Australiaconducted jointly by tourism and health experts, explains that while holidays are a time of leisure, they can also have a therapeutic aspect.
“Medical experts may recommend dementia treatments such as music therapy, exercise, cognitive stimulation, reminiscence therapy, sensory stimulation, and adaptations to a patient’s meal times and environment” , explains in a press release Dr. Jun Wen, principal investigator. “All these elements are also often present during the holidays”.
Going on vacation allows you to change your environment and live new experiences. This results in cognitive and sensory stimulation. In addition, vacationers spend more time outdoors, which allows them to fill up with vitamin D and serotonin, whether in a cold or hot country.
On vacation, we do more physical activities, symbolized by walking. Meals are associated with moments of conviviality with other people, which “positively influences the eating behavior of patients with dementia”, says Dr. Jun Wen.
So many experiences come together to represent a “holistic tourism experience”. After two years marked by the Covid pandemic, “this is the right time to identify the place of tourism in public health – and not just for healthy tourists, but vulnerable groups”, concludes the specialist.
