{"id":29705,"date":"2016-12-12T16:33:53","date_gmt":"2016-12-12T16:33:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/?p=29705"},"modified":"2016-12-12T16:33:53","modified_gmt":"2016-12-12T16:33:53","slug":"experience-gifts-better-than-material-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/experience-gifts-better-than-material-things\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Experience Gifts Are Better Than Material Things"},"content":{"rendered":"

Allow me to make the case for why experience gifts\u00a0or travel experiences<\/a>\u00a0are better than\u00a0material things.<\/p>\n

Science says experiences are better<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Science is definitely on my side. A recent study<\/a> by researchers at San Francisco State University showed people \u201cenjoy greater well-being from life experiences and consider them to be a better use of money.\u201d Additionally, Dr. Thomas Gilovich<\/a> of Cornell University found that overall happiness with material and experiential purchases is approximately equal at the time of receipt, but the overall satisfaction with material things bought goes down over time, whereas satisfaction with the experiences they had actually increased.
\n\"Experience
\nMillennials are leading the way when it comes to this trend<\/a>. Harris Group recently found that 72 percent of millennials prefer to spend more money on experiences than on material things. Your social media news feed is no doubt awash with people\u2019s pictures of concerts, adrenaline-fueled adventures, 5k races, and food experiences. More and more, people are placing value in meaningful experiences as a demonstration of self-fulfilment. Just search for any travel-related hashtag for further proof.<\/p>\n

Experience gifts are\u00a0WAY more special<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

?: @karynleigh89<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

More often than not, you\u2019re not choosing a gift for \u201cmost people.\u201d You\u2019re shopping for someone you love and care about, a person with real interests and passions. Most people don\u2019t really care how much you spend on them, and much prefer a gift from the heart.
\nTwo American travel-mad friends of mine recently got married, and rather than give them a nice shiny new blender or a set of homely cups, some mutual friends and I got together and chipped in towards entry passes for all of the United States\u2019 National Parks. We know their nomadic spirits would put the passes to good use, and provide a year\u2019s worth of powerful memories far more stirring than new duvet or toaster ever would.<\/p>\n

Experiences last longer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Experience<\/p>\n

?: @karynleigh89<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The obnoxiously loveable Tom Haverford, Aziz Ansari\u2019s character in popular sitcom Parks & Recreation once proclaimed: \u201cLove fades away, but things? Things last forever.\u201d Sorry Tom but you\u2019re dead wrong! Stuff, things, possessions, they all fade away. Every single one.
\nI honestly don\u2019t remember what I received for Christmas beyond last year. But I palpably remember the time my dad took me to see my favourite band play for the first time, and I smile every time I think about the weekend my college friends and I drove through the night to spend Comic-Con weekend in San Diego. Stuff fades, but experiences and memories only grow sweeter with time. Even the miserable experiences and unforeseen happenstances eventually turn into stories of laughter, even if they felt cringe-worthy at the time.
\nAll my Mum ever wants for Christmas every year is a surprise. Literally, that\u2019s it. So the competition each year becomes, who can surprise my Mum. The surprise doesn\u2019t have to cost much money, in fact, some of the best haven\u2019t cost us a penny! To this day, the all-time number one on the leader board of Mum\u2019s Christmas surprises was the time my Dad saved up and surprised her with a weekend in Paris. To this day she revels in the memory of the little cafes, the exquisite art and the memories firmly fixed in her soul forever. Nice work Dad.<\/p>\n

Experiences build relationships<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

?: @boscoppa<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Hopefully pretty much all of us have memories of holiday fun with loved ones, gathered around fireplaces singing and playing games, sharing meals and exchanging gifts. But what happens when holiday social bonanzas fade back into boring old work routines and lacklustre small talk? Sure Christmas and birthday celebrations may have brought some shiny gadgets into your life, but giving and receiving experiences can almost always prolong and even turbo-charge your relationships with those who accompany you on said adventures.
\nWhy not whisk your loved one away for a (surprisingly affordable) weekend city break in beautiful Lisbon, historic Berlin, or even somewhere adventurous but closer to home? The bonds you form while travelling and experiencing the world with those you care about will make everyone involved far happier than any snazzy material thing.
\nMost material gifts received around the holidays are mostly only useful to those receiving said gift. They are largely solitary, whereas most experiences, especially when chosen with care are not only shareable, but actually are maximised by experiencing them with other people.<\/p>\n

Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts of gifting experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n

DO<\/b> put the time in. Thoughtful gifts take time to plan, and no one wants a last minute bargain bin snag.
\nDON\u2019T<\/b> overthink it. There are a million different things that would make your loved ones happy. The most important thing is that they see how much you care. Take the time to plan but when you find something great, don\u2019t second guess yourself.
\nDO<\/b> try and understand what sort of traveller they are. Some people love city breaks, and others prefer adventure travel.
\nDON\u2019T<\/b> overdo it. You can have amazing experiences and adventures in your own country, so don\u2019t feel like your loved ones will ONLY want a bank-breaking round the world trip. Obvs I\u2019m sure they wouldn\u2019t complain though \ud83d\ude09
\nDO<\/b> pick something they can do with someone else. Any questions, just scroll up a little.
\nDON\u2019T<\/b> regret investing in experiential gifts. While you might not be giving them something shinny and fun to actually hold in their hands on Christmas morning, you\u2019re giving them a lifetime of memories.<\/p>\n

Examples from the travel community<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Finally, a few examples to prove my point and warm your soul. We recently chatted with a few expert wanderers about the best experience gifts they ever received:
\n\"Experience
\n\u00a0\u201cAs far as gifts go, tickets to canoe the Goulbourn River and afternoon tea in the Glass House Mountains were unbeatable. Being serial beach addicts we would never normally have ventured into mainland Australia having hugged the east coast for the majority of our 9000 km journey in our spring chicken of a camper, but these gift experiences were so worth it. We spent hours cruising along the river with nothing but nature between us and the rest of the world, coming across koalas and echidnas but luckily no crocs! Whilst tea and cakes might not seem exciting we assure you that driving a vehicle bigger than a hatchback for the first time in your life along the edge of a mountain\u00a0was exhilarating! Let alone the incredible views we got at the end of it!<\/em>
\n\u201cThe trainers have since been forgotten on a sleeper bus, the jacket torn to shreds from an adventurous midnight volcano climb and the book gathering dust, yet our memories of singing the ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ theme tune canoeing up the Goulbourn in Eastern Australia will live with us forever.\u201d \u2013 KH Travels<\/a><\/em>
\n\"Experience
\n\u201cI went bungee jumping with my dad in the South of France and it was one of the most memorable moments of my life. The view from the top of the bridge was one of the most beautiful things I\u2019ve ever seen, at least in part because I feared for my life. My jump was described by my brother as \u201cone of the most undignified jumps\u201d he\u2019d ever seen, and the fact my whole family were there to laugh\/take the piss was even more special. It sticks in my memory much more than any material present ever could, and I\u2019m glad I was able to share this experience with my dad.\u201d \u2013 Emma<\/a><\/em>
\n\"Why
\n“Some of the best gifts I’ve ever been given are travel experiences and not things. Once upon a time a boyfriend whisked me off to Rome. He wrapped a guidebook up and laughed at my confused face as I opened it. He’d sneakily rung my boss and booked me time off work and we spent a long weekend exploring the ancient city. It gave me new insights and experiences I’d never have dreamed of. The following year he gave me… well I can’t remember as it was a thing and not an experience.” – Johanna<\/a><\/em>
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