Holidays make a LOT happier – says science! According to facial recognition AI, travel memories are more positive than memories of a first kiss for almost half of people

For almost half of people, special travel memories evoke more positive emotions than the memory of their first kiss.

And this is according to science.

The research used artificial intelligence to “measure and visualize the expression of emotions” associated with a variety of memories, with 47 percent of participants associating more positive emotions with a unique travel memory than with the memory of their first kiss.

In the study, conducted by GetYourGuide and emotion analysis specialist Tawny, travel experiences were among the three most emotionally intense memories for 42 percent of respondents.

And for 14 percent, travel experiences evoked even more positive emotions than holding their first-born child for the first time, although the latter was the most positive memory overall.

For the study, 298 participants from Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom followed a guided audio meditation that had them vividly imagine the most important moments of their lives.

As they recalled these memories, their faces were scanned by facial recognition software.

Using artificial intelligence, the software analyzed facial micro-emotional reactions to rank different memories and describe how negative or positive a reaction was.

Software analyzed facial micro-emotional reactions to rank different memories and describe how negative or positive a reaction was

“The first kiss and the special travel experience have psychological similarities. Both are multisensory, create tension and critically represent a new experience you’ve never had before,” says Anja Goritz, psychologist and professor of behavioral health technology at the University of Augsburg.

“Putting yourself in situations for new, emotionally rich experiences can benefit your emotional well-being. These types of experiences are also the ones most likely to form “cherished” memories over the long term.”

Johannes Reck, CEO and founder of the online travel booking platform GetYourGuide, says: “People have the opportunity to be the architect of the emotionally important moments in their lives. I firmly believe in the power of travel experiences to shape memories.

“With GetYourGuide, we want to give consumers the key to unlocking those feelings of wonder and awe and turning them into lasting memories.”

To keep the travel memories alive, GetYourGuide has released a collection of “Once Upon a Time Experiences” called Originals by GetYourGuide. One highlight is a guided tour of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, another is a private tour of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Reck added: “For years, GetYourGuide has helped travelers create lasting memories from every trip, and we’re excited to make this even more real now with the launch of Originals by GetYourGuide, created in close collaboration with our brilliant local Unlock unique experience partners. .’