We have a lot on our plate and trust me, we will never get time for ourselves while chasing our dreams. The dream car, the luxury house, the kids’ school, the tiring jobs, all these are on our nerves and gives us a little time for ourselves and to spend with our families. Although Friday night gives you the luxury to spend your weekend the way it should be.  You may indulge yourself in meeting office deadlines or do justice to the Netflix subscription, or you may pack a small bag, take a flight and take yourself away from this awful and tiring routine for a deadly needed change. 

For the sake of your heart and mind 

Many studies have confirmed and validated the connection between the heart and the holidays one person takes. It is observed that people who take breaks once or twice a year are prone to better heart conditions than the ones who rarely go on holiday. Plus when you break away with your daily life, you become more mindful of your life. You de-stress yourself, you are more happy, resilient, and compassionate towards others. so, plan your next weekend getaway melbourne for the sake of your heart and mind. 

To meet Interesting people

Getting out of your office and home, you get a chance to meet new and interesting people that no doubt enhances your social circle, but you also find someone to share your journey with, along the way. While holidaying, people mostly give positive vibes and are adventurous, which opens up the chances to meet new people. All you have to do is be positive, confident, and come out of your comfort zone to make cherishing acquaintances. 

To encourage your imagination 

This is specifically for your kids. Taking a break from the mundane routine would help them brighten their horizons and they get to see the imagery and reality of what they read in their books every day. Plus we get to spend time with them and your spouse. You may talk about your future without any distractions coming from the office, mobile, or screens in the way. The quality time you spend on a holiday has a long-lasting effect on kids. The enriched environment affects their brain development, their ability to learn, concentration, and attention. It improves their physical and mental health and the value they hold for their parents. 

To Recharge your Productivity 

Shutting off from your regular life gives you a chance to recharge and relax. This increases your productivity, focus, and concentration when you return to your daily routine. Taking a break from the norm, and cherishing in natural scenery with friends and family makes you relaxed,  happy, and compassionate. The new environment positively affects your mental health and boost your productivity to cope up with the daily pressure when you get back to your routine. 

To Strengthens your Family Bonding 

Weekend getaways are a perfect time to bond with your family and to reflect upon your family beliefs and values. It improves the connectivity the relationships must have, gives you time to communicate with each other. The families that celebrate together have a strong sense of belonging with each other, they share strong family relations, and they are more resilient than those who don’t. Plus it gives you life long memories to cherish.  

Diseases, natural disasters, political unrest: anything can happen when you travel. If one thinks about it, one does not move from home. Fortunately, this is not the case, even if, sometimes, giving up a trip, even if organized long ago, is the best solution.

SiViaggia interviewed Paola Guerra , founder and director of the International School of Ethics & Safety, asking her for some advice on how to behave in the event that a trip can be put at risk by unexpected events. In a previous interview we had anticipated a project aimed at travel agencies with specific leaflets for travelers. Here’s what he recommends.

How and where to find information on protecting your health while traveling?
“Traveling health is very important, when we work with companies we prepare them for this theme which is often overlooked: the organizational unit and the numbers to call in case of need (sometimes it is enough to have even the help of a doctor who speak your language to deal with a health emergency), the ongoing consultation of the Farnesina ‘Viaggiare Sicuri’ first aid kits, reporting periodic of your position to be able to intervene promptly, the correct eating behaviors.

In these days with regard to Coronavirus also the site of the Ministry of Health and that of the World Health Organization . We prepare leaflets and communication campaigns for the employees of the companies with which we collaborate; in fact, companies have the responsibility and duty to inform their employees about the risks and safety when traveling abroad “.

What factors should pandemic travelers consider?
“In the first place, undoubtedly, those who travel in high-risk situations, such as in the case of health epidemics, must rely on secure, reliable sources of information. The World Health Organization, the Farnesina, the embassies of your country are reliable sources. Unfortunately, not all government bodies in different countries demonstrate transparency and timeliness in information. You should not rely on social media and last minute information, word of mouth which is often strongly influenced by panic and fear.

Professionals who need to move for work can turn to their companies for timely information and risk indications. The safety of its employees is under the responsibility of the employer always, during a trip and also in his spare time. It is a responsibility but also a legal obligation. It is the company that must implement the safety measures necessary for the specific situation and for that area of ​​risk. The risk assessment must include the risks related to health, accidents, the environment (earthquakes or calamities), terrorism, delinquency, just to mention the most important.

It is not uncommon in our job to be called by companies to assess the risks and come together, to the conclusion that it is better not to undertake that trip or that transfer, moving it for some time waiting to move in a safer perimeter ” .

What precautions should travelers take to avoid getting sick?
“Of course, there are all the tricks we are most used to: washing your hands very often , wearing masks if you are in the hot zone of the epidemic, not eating fresh food and using packaged water . And then common sense: using technological tools for a period of time, more conference calls and fewer trips … ” .

How do you recommend managing health emergencies in case of a pleasure trip?
“For our holidays it is important not to choose destinations at risk , it is a responsible approach that secures us first of all, our loved ones at home and our country and the rescue and intervention facilities.

If, on the other hand, you are abroad when a serious emergency health situation arises, the advice is to contact the Italian Embassy for timely information, activate a contact bridge (telephone, whatsapp, mail …) with your country. (family or friends) to give their position and to have direct information without filters, not to frequent crowded environments and not even hospitals unless strictly necessary, to use packaged food and drinks, to inquire about the fastest and safest ways to return. Never forget to buy a local SIM card , have cash available and save useful and emergency numbers in the phone book “.

Coronavirus, the fear of traveling. And checks
The fear of the virus, of course. But even more the fear of controls. The fear of being entangled in that network of checks that has now been spread in airports all over the world. And that a simple fever, when traveling can always happen, turns into quarantine. Maybe in a distant country, after a simple stopover. Termoscan syndrome is the real grain of sand that is blocking those who have to leave these days. And also the gears of that real national industry called tourism.

Trips canceled for Coronavirus
To get an idea of ​​what’s going on, just browse through the samples of cancellations collected in these hours by the travel agency network. A married couple canceled their honeymoon in Brazil for May. Another couple canceled it for June, the Caribbean destination. A family reversed on an Australia tour, scheduled for August. From Sicily a school trip to Venice was canceled with the textual motivation that “there are many Chinese people”. While there are countless cancellations to the sea in winter, from the Maldives to Zanzibar. Fear, termoscan syndrome, psychosis. The fact remains that at this moment there are no real reasons to avoid these destinations. There is no so-called foreign ministry advice. And whoever cancels the trip loses the money, in whole or in part depending on the conditions and the fact that he is a DIY traveler or has chosen a tour operator. Just from Astoi, the association of tour operators, they speak of a “psychological reaction” which acts as a brake not only on travel but also on “the thought of booking a holiday in the summer”.

The «Sanremo effect»
It sounds like a joke but it looks like that’s the way it is. Several travel agency operators report a strange trend in the number of cancellations arriving from Italy. Three weeks ago there was a spike. Last week there was a drop, a sharp drop. This week I am growing again. In the middle week, the “weak” one, there was the Sanremo Festival when the attention of half of Italy was concentrated on lighter subjects and much less was said about Coronavirus. Fantaspiegazione? “Unfortunately not,” says Ivana Jelinic, president of Fiavet, the Italian Federation of travel agencies. «It is true that in the week there was a sharp drop in cancellations. And it is reasonable to think that the reason is precisely that: there was no mention of Coronavirus because we were talking about Sanremo and this reduced psychosis ».