Stress for Success: Potential Benefits of Perceived and Actual Stress While Cruising

Abstract

Understanding the effects of travel on the health of travelers could have profound effects on the tourism industry and behaviors of tourists. While psychometric analyses have suggested travel has the ability to relieve stress and improve one’s overall well-being, scant research has utilized physiological data to examine the effects of travel on health. The current study, guided by the cognitive activation theory of stress (CATS), compared self-reported diaries and physiological data (using heart rate monitors) to examine the effects cruising has on both perceived and actual stress. Results empirically validate the use of CATS as a theoretical framework for understanding travelers’ perceived and actual stress. Findings also inform specific guidance to both cruise management, on how to engineer cruise experiences based on stress, and individuals, on how to experience positive stress while traveling.