| | | | | inner self worth. That is why the wealthy always |
| For the economically disadvantaged community on | | | | make leisure travel an integral part of their health |
| both kids and adults alike, the mental health | | | | and wellness outlook. |
| benefits of leisure travel presents vast significant | | | | |
| and social improvement in their mental health | | | | For those on the lower end of the spectrum and |
| outlook. Leisure travel brings about greater | | | | primarily because of limited income, many inner |
| personal impact for the individual versus the | | | | city and rural living adults and children have had |
| person who has not traveled. Being able to get | | | | little to no access to travel and vacation |
| away and relax creates a wonderful sense of | | | | resources. The rate of participation is very limited; |
| euphoria and excitement. Leisure travel is very | | | | this shapes the feelings and outcomes with regard |
| important in reducing the amount of stress on | | | | to such activities. Most just either stay home or |
| both adults and children and even more so on | | | | visit with nearby friends and/or family. With |
| those on a lower income scale. The quality of life | | | | today’s economy in such a slump, it is more |
| is drastically improved, along with personal growth, | | | | important than ever for families and |
| fulfillment, and a higher self-esteem. As the | | | | individual’s to find ways to kick back and |
| disadvantaged person’s amount of personal | | | | relax, away from such obvious options. |
| travel increases, their depression and | | | | |
| despondency decreases. Access to luxury travel | | | | It is quite necessary to increase one’s |
| increases an individual’s intellectual pleasure, | | | | personal time away, even including time alone to |
| reduces inherent poverty as it increases | | | | improve individual social well being, helping to |
| improvement in self-esteem and financial control. | | | | transcend poverty. Understanding the need for |
| | | | | disadvantaged people to get access to leisure |
| Personal travel provides individuals with the | | | | travel is very critical to understanding one of the |
| opportunity to improve social skills, increases an | | | | dire problems facing African-American, Latino and |
| individual’s personal involvement in social | | | | underprivileged white communities mindset. |
| groups and settings, while significantly establishing | | | | Without having gone beyond the boundaries of |
| positive interaction of social bonds with friends, | | | | their own neighborhood or state lines, many |
| family and community. With low-income families | | | | socially perish for lack of financial resources to |
| and individual’s maiden journey into cultured | | | | access outside of it. |
| events, i.e., museums, operatic and classical | | | | |
| concerts within a leisure and not ‘forced’ | | | | “As a |
| framework, children especially feel a full sense of | | | | child sees, he does.” |
| worthiness, acceptance and excitement to | | | | |
| expand even more into such activities. | | | | It is very important that children experience all |
| | | | | aspects of travel and personally realize how much |
| The mental health benefit associated with leisure | | | | fun and excitement it brings. Children who travel |
| travel creates a sense of social identity and | | | | quite frequently as opposed to children who do |
| belonging. Leisure travel plays a major and | | | | not, grow into happy, independent, well-adjusted |
| important role in improving social skills in children, | | | | adults who continue to travel. Both generally grow |
| especially over a prolonged sense of time. Children | | | | up to either repeat their love, excitement and |
| of parents who made it a family mantra and duty | | | | independence of travel or their aloof and |
| to introduce them to various locations and | | | | indifferent feelings onto their own future |
| destinations are far more likely to go on to be far | | | | children. |
| better socially adjusted adolescents and adults. | | | | |
| They tend to be much calmer, more outgoing, | | | | Celebrating newfound culture and personal |
| feel more secure in various settings, while a child | | | | wellness is possible once an individual has traveled |
| or adult who did not travel, generally feel like a | | | | outside of his or her ‘comfort’ zone. It is |
| fish out of water in unfamiliar territory. | | | | imperative for one’s own psychological well |
| | | | | being to be able relax, enjoy and fit right in with |
| The association brought about with leisure travel | | | | any given surrounding. Travel tends to bring about |
| brings on a personal feeling of accomplishment | | | | a positive attitude in and transcends the |
| and self-motivation. Those personally associated | | | | personalities of those who have the ability to do |
| with children and adults who suddenly find | | | | so. It is a transformation that for some is almost |
| themselves the recipient of a first time vacation, | | | | indescribable, like seeing sub tropic cloud |
| see firsthand the exciting benefit that travel | | | | formation, blue green water or plants and animals |
| brings. They see the returning journey to relax, | | | | not native to their own region. The euphoric |
| unwind and take it easy has also rejuvenated and | | | | feeling of relaxation is so overpowering that they |
| reconnected them to their inner self as wonderful | | | | want to travel again and again to keep feeling |
| proof as to what vacationing can do. Travel helps | | | | that contentment. Leisure travel reflects the |
| those individuals to maintain a healthy balance of | | | | beauty and frailty that is the human experience. |