Why we always want to holiday in the same place

You can say a lot about humans, but what you can say most of all is that we are creatures of habit. We love all that we know. We fear the unknown.

As travel-loving as we are, a lot of people still like to go back to the same holiday address over and over again. The same cottage, the same place, the same hotel. Or at least to the same holiday country. There are several reasons for this, of course. For instance, we are more likely to be enthusiastic about a holiday spot because we are emotionally attached to it. And you are emotionally attached to a place if you have been there before, of course. We recognise something. After a long journey, we still come a bit ‘home’. Oh God, yes, this village, this beach, remember what we did in this restaurant, and oh, that pub on the corner is still there, look there's still pasta vongole on the menu, oh, and let's make reservations tomorrow there and there. It creates a bond with your fellow holidaymakers. A connection with yourself.

It also works in a circle: chances are that if you have already been there twice, you will also pack your bags a third time to move to this place. Why do you think holiday homes sell so well? You know what to expect and only a few people seem to like that. You know What you spend your hard-earned money on. So where in particular do we want to go back to more often? Italy is number one, France second and Spain third. In a way, it is also practical, because you don't see the whole country at once anyway.

A question remains though: you've been there so many times, don't you want to see more of the world? The answer is no. We love traditions, the familiar. Precisely perhaps because we are increasingly full in our heads and stressed, we have no puff for a gruelling holiday in which it is all about searching for a nice little tent. Whereas you would have found that on the French coast a long time ago. We want more convenience when we travel because we already have so much hassle at home. And if the waiter in that one little place on the beach still remembers your name from the year before, that's it. You'd love to book your ticket for next year right there, on that beach.

Oh well, just do it. Whatever makes you happy, right? And that world doesn't run away. You can always go see it when you're in a crazy mood.