“Traveling” is the best way to relieve stress. 60% of Taiwanese people want to quit their jobs to travel.

▲ Travel always allows people to temporarily forget life’s worries and fully enjoy their vacation time. (Photo / Reporter Ma Junjie)

Reporter Cai Wenjun / Comprehensive report

Modern life is stressful. What’s the best way for you to unwind? Expedia recently conducted a survey on this topic among young people aged 20–40 in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. The results showed thatthe younger generation generally believes “traveling” is the best way to de-stress, and as many as 60% of Taiwanese people would like to quit their jobs to travel.

How important is travel to people today? According to the Expedia survey, over 50% of people in Hong Kong and South Korea believe that compared to other leisure activities such as watching movies or shopping, traveling is the most appealing thing to them; andas many as 90% of Taiwanese people believe that travel is an indispensable and essential part of life. Combining the opinions of people from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea, over half said that the main purpose of traveling is to temporarily escape from their current lives and relieve stress.。

▲ Gazing at the sunset from the seaside offers a broader perspective. (Photo / Reporter Ma Junjie)

The survey also found that Taiwanese people are particularly fond of traveling. Nearly 60% of Taiwanese have thought about quitting their jobs to travel, which is two to three times higher than those in Hong Kong and South Korea. Over 90% of Taiwanese feel that not being able to visit their dream destination would be very regrettable, yet nearly 70% have yet to take any concrete action.

When it comes to choosing travel destinations, travelers from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea have different preferences. Taiwanese and Korean travelers prefer resort islands such as Cebu, Guam, while Hong Kong travelers favor international metropolises. The rankings are as follows:

▲ Islands that offer closeness to nature and island vibes are Taiwanese travelers’ top choice. (Photo / Reporter Ma Junjie)

Taiwanese travelers’ preferred travel destinations
1. Resort islands (Cebu, Guam, Hawaii, etc.)
2. International metropolitan cities (New York, Hong Kong, etc.)
3. Domestic travel

Hong Kong travelers’ preferred travel destinations:
1. International metropolitan cities
2. Resort islands
3. Exotic places (such as Vietnam, Turkey)

Korean travelers’ preferred travel destinations
1. Resort islands
2. Domestic travel
3. Exotic places (such as Vietnam, Turkey)

In terms of annual frequency of overseas travel, about 60–70% of people in Hong Kong and South Korea said they travel twice or more a year, with only
10% traveling less than once a year; in contrast, among young Taiwanese people, over 50% travel abroad twice or more a year, while about 20% travel less than once a year. Regarding the budget for a single overseas trip, 30% of Taiwanese travelers are willing to spend between NT$15,001 and NT$35,000 to treat themselves to a trip.