Study shows hitting the road can be good for your health

Abstract: A new report from the Global Coalition on Aging and Transamerica Institute reveals travel enhances physical health, cognitive resilience, and social engagement – key parts of healthful aging. Regular travel is linked to a 36.6 per cent lower mortality risk and up to a 47 per cent reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease through activities that promote movement, cultural engagement, and community connection. Despite these benefits, the role of travel in healthy aging remains unrecognized.

The Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA) and nonprofit Transamerica Institute recently released Leveraging Travel as a Catalyst for Healthy Longevity, a report highlighting the transformative role of travel in fostering longer, healthier lives.

A release issued by the two organizations stated that “whether taking a daytrip to local attraction, a weekend getaway, or a longer vacation to a faraway place, travel can yield these health benefits across all budgets. Drawing insights from an expert roundtable conducted in Fall 2024, the report recommends integrating travel into public health strategies and economic development plans.”

Michael Hodin, the CEO of the GCOA, an organization that aims to “reshape how global leaders approach and prepare” this century’s shift in population aging, said “the travel sector, like healthcare and financial services, should be booming as the world’s age 50+ population grows.

“Yet, despite their spending power and increasing recognition of travel’s health benefits, older adults are often overlooked as a market opportunity,” said Michael Hodin, CEO of GCOA. “It’s time to reposition travel as an essential part of healthy aging and economic growth, rather than just a recreational activity.”

Research, the release states, indicates that travel enhances physical health, cognitive resilience, and social engagement – key parts of healthy and healthful aging.

Regular travel is linked to a 36.6 per cent lower mortality risk and up to a 47 per cent reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease through activities that promote movement, cultural engagement, and community connection. Despite these benefits, the role of travel in healthy aging remains unrecognized.

The report’s key takeaways include:

• Travel ranks among the top retirement aspirations among people around the world.
• Travel plays a transformative role in healthy aging.
• Travel connects people and fosters community across generations.
• The healthy longevity opportunity could be a game changer for the travel industry and global economy.
• Public-private collaborations are needed to maximize the full potential of travel for healthy aging.

Authors of the report note that fully realizing these opportunities requires strategic action in the following three areas:

1. Increase Awareness & Research – Strengthen the narrative on travel’s health benefits through evidence-based advocacy. Elevate travel’s role in healthy aging through a compelling narrative and data-driven advocacy.
2. Engage Policymakers – Integrate travel into public health and economic strategies.
3. Foster Public-Private Collaboration – Work across sectors to create more inclusive, age-friendly travel experiences.

“Public-private collaborations are essential to unlocking the full potential of travel as a catalyst for healthy aging,” said Catherine Collinson, founding CEO and president, Transamerica Institute.

“By combining efforts, expertise, and vision, we can create opportunities for older adults to thrive, improve well-being, and drive economic growth in ways no single entity could achieve alone.”

In the coming months, GCOA and Transamerica Institute say they plan to “work with roundtable participants and invite additional stakeholders to come together in partnership to fully leverage travel as a path to healthy and happy longevity.”

“By boosting physical health, cognitive resilience, and social connections, travel helps people age well at every stage of life and offers considerable additional commercial value for stakeholders in the travel sector, from transportation and age-friendly cities, hotels and theme parks, and personal finance products and services (e.g., planning services, points programs, and payment/credit cards),” authors of the report state.

“Travel not only keeps people healthier for longer, but it also addresses one of the most pressing challenges of aging: loneliness and social isolation. By fostering connection and shared experiences, travel is one of the most effective ways to improve overall vitality and well-being.”