{"id":46385,"date":"2026-10-06T15:29:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T13:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riu.com\/blog\/?p=46385"},"modified":"2026-10-06T15:29:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T13:29:19","slug":"travel-therapy-health-benefits-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.riu.com\/blog\/en\/travel-therapy-health-benefits-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Therapy: How Vacations Improve Physical and Mental Health According to Medical Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A 2025 study published by researchers Gerard T. Flaherty, Robert Steffen, and Karin Leder in the scientific journal Journal of Travel Medicine<\/em><\/a> analyzes the concept of “travel therapy.”<\/strong> The research demonstrates objectively how moving to new environments benefits cardiometabolic health, psychological well-being, and the reduction of daily stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is “Travel Therapy” and Why Does Science Support Traveling?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the centuries, traveling to different places has been closely linked to human well-being\u2014from ancient thermal baths to the search for warmer climates. Today, formal medical literature consolidates the concept of “travel therapy”<\/strong> (or travel prescription) to analyze the biological, psychological, and social effects of changing one’s environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temporarily stepping away from daily obligations stimulates cognitive flexibility<\/strong>, strengthens resilience, and fosters sociocultural empathy by connecting with different realities. At RIU Hotels & Resorts<\/a><\/strong>, we share how the experience of travel brings measurable value to bodily health and emotional balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Does Tourism Influence Physical and Cardiometabolic Health?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The positive impact of a trip extends well beyond a feeling of rest; medical research confirms tangible physiological changes during vacations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n