Survey Says: Almost Twice as Many People Would Take a Relaxing Vacation Over an Active One

Every vacation — whether it’s a weekend in Miami or a week spent exploring Machu Picchu — could be considered an "adventure" in its own right. And while travel professionals love touting the one-of-a-kind experiences that await you at their preferred destinations — like gorilla trekking in Rwanda or shark diving in South Africa — a new study has concluded that most people (a whopping 59%) would much rather spend their time off doing absolutely nothing.

The study, which was commissioned by GfK, a noted German market research firm, surveyed travelers across 17 different countries — including the United States, Canada, France, Australia, China, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Mexico and the UK — to determine the vacation patterns of travelers of all ages. Overall, they determined that nearly twice as many people would opt for a relaxing vacation over an "active" one (59% compared to 35%), with residents of Brazil, South Korea and Japan leading the charge for do-nothing getaways. Travelers from Italy, France and Spain, on the other hand, were more inclined to book a trip that keeps them moving. Perhaps unsurprisingly, of the teens who were included, 43% preferred "an active vacation where I do or see lots of things."

While the study attempted to analyze different travel preferences between countries, age groups and genders, the researchers determined that when it comes to vacations, men and women are on the same page. According to the study, "Men are potentially very slightly more lazy in their holiday choice than women — standing at 60% of men preferring a relaxing vacation, compared to 58% of women. But for active holidays, men and women stand neck and neck at 35% each.”

Families tended to be among the most active vacationers included in the survey, which makes sense, as kids have a lot of energy. The laziest demographic surveyed? People in their forties — 64% of whom were on Team Relax’s side. You can check out the full report here. Meanwhile, if you need us for anything, we’ll be under that palapa on the beach…

Which type of vacation do you prefer, relaxing or active? Sound off, below.