Holidays really do make you more sociable
A holiday does more than just recharge your batteries. A large-scale study in the Netherlands by Ondrej Mitas and Moji Shavali of Breda University of Applied Sciences, Rahim Behrad Far of Farhangian University, and Peter Ward of Brigham Young University, has revealed that holidays can actually change your personality. Particularly your level of extraversion, that is, how outgoing and socially open you are towards others.
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The researchers analysed data collected over nine years from more than 1,800 Dutch participants and found that those who took more frequent and longer holidays became more extraverted over time. And this change wasn’t random. The key factor? Meeting new people.
Holidays as personality boosters
The study was based on a long-term panel in which participants completed surveys twice a year about their holiday behaviour and personality. In total, 3,292 data points were collected between 2015 and 2024. The researchers looked at how often people went on holiday, how long they stayed away, and whether they met new people during their travels.
The results are striking: people who took more or longer holidays scored higher on extraversion in later surveys. In other words, they became more sociable. This effect was partly explained by the extent to which they formed new social contacts during their trips.
Strangers can open you up
According to the researchers, this phenomenon is due to what they call "interpersonal novelty", meeting new people or entering unfamiliar social situations. Such experiences not only boost your comfort in social settings, but can also lead to lasting changes in the way you interact with others.
This supports earlier psychological insights suggesting that personality isn’t as fixed as once believed. Life events such as a new job, a move abroad, or an exchange programme can influence character traits. This new research shows that holidays, too, can be a powerful source of personal growth.
Tourism with impact
These findings offer encouraging insights for the travel industry. Tour operators and destinations that encourage interaction between travellers, for example through group tours, homestays, or social excursions can contribute to the personal development of their customers.
Although the researchers stress that their findings are preliminary and based on a non-representative sample, they argue that further research could shed more light on the effect. For instance, how long does this change last? And for whom is the effect most significant?
Conclusion
A holiday turns out to be more than just relaxation: it’s an opportunity to transform yourself. Those who meet new people while travelling return not only with fond memories and souvenirs, but also with a more sociable and open version of themselves.
