Freedom Day brings your all-important holiday a step closer

Happy Freedom Day!

It’s here. The day we’ve all been waiting for. We’ve lived with restrictions on our daily lives for nearly 16 months, so this is a huge milestone in our cautious return to normality. And with restrictions at home lifting, it brings us yet another step closer to being able to travel again. There won’t be too many Monday blues today!

‘Freedom day’ brings back into focus just how important travel is, so we’ve taken the opportunity to remind ourselves why we’re so passionate about travel.

For us, travel isn’t just about a fly and flop. It’s not just about a pretty beach or a top-notch hotel, it means so much more. And as friends of HA, we’re guessing you feel the same. So, in light of that and in celebration of today, here are…

8 reasons why we need travel, and why it’s more important now than ever before… 

(We know things are still fairly uncertain right now. But our team of experts are at the end of the phone on 01242 253 073 to answer any questions you may have about getting away on a much-needed holiday later this year or next.

1. Travel broadens the mind

Our worlds, and our minds, would be very small and limited if we stayed within our own four walls forever more. We’ve had more of a taste of what that might be like this last year than ever before – and we’re not fans! Travel could see you learning about new cultures from the native tribes of North Vietnam, hiking to the top of Roy’s Peak in New Zealand, trying exotic street food in Japan, or simply understanding the world and its rich tapestry of people just a little more than you did before.

2. Time away can reduce stress and increase happiness

3. We all deserve a reward, especially the kids

The last year or so has been tough on us all, and if ever we deserved a little treat, pick me up or reward for ‘doing life’, it’s now. And if us fully grown humans do, our kids do even more. Having spent so long locked inside with adults, unable to play with their friends, go to school or enjoy the experiences that we all took for granted whilst growing up.

So, whether you fancy a family holiday to Morocco or whitewater rafting on and adventure filled getaway to Costa Rica, we’re on the end of the phone to plan the perfect reward for all the family.

4. It can bring moments of inspiration that you never saw coming

No creative spark ever came from doing the same thing day in, day out. A change of scenery and a break in routine could be just what you need to reignite those embers of creativity and return to your regular life with a renewed vigour. Travel boosts creativity. So, if you’re feeling in a slump at home, at work, at life in general, a holiday could be just what you need to find your mojo and get back into the swing of things again. Almost like when you stop trying to find something and it miraculously turns up.

Few things inspire more than getting up close and personal with our natural world and that’s a huge reason why we need travel. We think seeing the Big-5 in the wild on safari in South Africa’s Kruger National Park might well do the trick.

5. Local communities in the places you travel need the support of tourism like never before

Our travel industry at home has suffered phenomenally this last year (and continues to do so), but communities around the world are feeling it too. These families that rely on a steady stream of tourism to survive and put food on the table need us now more than ever before. So, you know that when you visit that remote village in Cambodia, take a walk with the chief of an indigenous tribe in Sri Lanka, or have lunch with a Bedouin family in Jordan, they’ll be even more grateful and happier to see you than ever before. So why we need travel is as much about others as it is about us!

What’s more, it’s rare something is so big that it impacts every single person around the world in one way or another. We have a shared experience now that we’ve never really had before. And we can’t wait to get travelling again and learn what living through the pandemic was like for our friends around the world.

6. Make new memories beyond your own four walls

If you’re anything like us, your travel memories will have been a huge comfort of late. Remembering the kindness of a stranger, that stunning sunrise, that time you befriended a local despite the language barrier, the good feeling that comes from supporting a small community, feeling the sunshine on your skin or the sand on your toes. Or perhaps simply sipping an ice cold cocktail excited about the adventure to come? Memories are invaluable, we now that now more than ever. And that’s a huge reason why we need travel, and why we’re so excited to design you memory-making holidays again.

 7. Learn, experience and gain a new perspective

After the last year of having our freedoms and normality restricted to such an extreme level, our perspectives on life has changed. People smile more, people chat more.

A break from routine and the same faces, hobbies and day-to-day, can bring about unexpected inspirations and new perspectives. For example, a simple conversation with a local in Vietnam could teach you things you never expected. Perhaps you’ll be tempted to attend a live music concert and discover a new favourite band, take part in a cooking class and uncover a passion for patisserie or try your hand at an extreme sport and realise it’s what has been missing from your life all along!

8. Perhaps a little self-indulgent, but we’re back together in the office and are so excited to design your most well-deserved holiday yet. 

We love designing holidays. It’s what gets us going in the morning and why we love our jobs so much! It’s been a long old holiday planning drought and our team are back in full force, beyond excited to plan you the holiday to beat all holidays. Your first holiday post Covid needs to be a really special one. We get that, and we’re so excited to put everything we’ve got into making it a reality. Learn more about us here.