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In search of self: Why people are travelling to stay centred

Amid an uncertain economy, return-to-work pressures and a tide of negative news, more people are travelling to find meaning – and themselves

    • The Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia in Argentina is one of the attractions on a voyage with Oceania Cruises.
    • Four Seasons' tented camp resort in the Golden Triangle.
    • Guests at Conrad Koh Samui learn about harvesting and composting at the hotel’s organic farm.
    • Guests can take a lesson in kintsugi at Roku Kyoto, a hotel in the Hilton group’s LXR boutique luxury arm. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold.
    • Untapped destinations such as the Amazon River are popular with Oceania Cruises passengers.
    • The Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia in Argentina is one of the attractions on a voyage with Oceania Cruises. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
    • Four Seasons' tented camp resort in the Golden Triangle. PHOTO: FOUR SEASONS RESORTS
    • Guests at Conrad Koh Samui learn about harvesting and composting at the hotel’s organic farm. PHOTO: CONRAD KOH SAMUI
    • Guests can take a lesson in kintsugi at Roku Kyoto, a hotel in the Hilton group’s LXR boutique luxury arm. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold. PHOTO: ROKU KYOTO
    • Untapped destinations such as the Amazon River are popular with Oceania Cruises passengers. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
    Published Thu, Jun 6, 2024 · 06:00 PM

    IN JANUARY, Claire Tan quit her job of nearly 20 years. Disillusioned with the company’s leadership and beset by anxiety attacks, the banker booked a trip to South America, where she spent a month exploring remote villages in Patagonia and Peru, and “hanging out with llamas”. 

    “I had to leave for my sanity,” she says. “There were so many changes over the past couple of years that even the management didn’t know what was happening. We were like headless chickens. I realised the job was no longer in line with my principles in life, and decided to find inspiration on how to be happy again, how to reset myself.”

    Stories like hers are becoming common across the corporate world. An uncertain economy, return-to-work pressures and negative news cycles have created a hothouse of change and unpredictability, rattling the trust of employees in companies, leaders and humanity in general. In search of a new centre and clarity, many are turning to travel.

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