It’s often said that travel broadens the mind, but is it true?
Of course it’s true says anyone who’s ever traveled—and according to a recent study by the US Travel Association, the facts say the same.
The results of the study, released in a report entitled “Travel Improves Educational Attainment & Future Success,” revealed that educationally focused trips—think educational tours a la EF Tours or semesters abroad in college—yield very tangible benefits for the 12- to 18-year-olds who take them.
Among the findings:
- Adults who took learning-focused trips between the ages of 12 and 18 had higher incomes, and achieved higher grades than those who did not travel
- Adults who traveled were more likely to graduate from high school than those who did not travel and 63 percent of that group went on to graduate from college
- Students who took educational trips had higher grades
- Students who traveled more likely to graduate and seek higher learning
- Adults who traveled saw benefits in their careers later in life
- Travel added to context and depth of classroom discussions
The report also found that educational travel was not perceived as boring—so go, kids, and see the world!