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Would you go on holiday just to sleep?
In a world that’s constantly ‘on the go’, it seems that people are seeking a new kind of adventure—one that prioritises quality sleep and relaxation over jam-packed itineraries. In fact, a recent survey KAYAK conducted reveals over a third of Brits are now putting rest and regeneration at the forefront of their travel plans.
Welcome to the era of “Sleepcations”. In our expert guide, we dive deeper into the growing trend and officially rank our best destinations in the world for a sleep tourism escape, developed in collaboration with renowned sleep scientist Dr. Jason Ellis, Professor of Sleep Science at Northumbria University.
The rise of sleep tourism in the UK:
New survey reveals the growing need for sleep-focused holidays:
Top 3 sleepcation destinations
2. Kyoto, Japan
Total score: 91
Coming in second is Kyoto, another top choice for a sleep-focused holiday, offering a peaceful getaway with a high political stability score of 87. With hidden mountain retreats, hot springs and quiet Zen gardens such as Ryonaji, this serene Japanese city offers all of the ingredients for a relaxing day before taking a deep sleep.
Average stays price: £126 a night.
1 - Mind your diet
Opt for foods with sleep promoting effects that will help you wind down. One of Dr. Ellis’ favourites is kiwis which contain polythene, an ingredient that promotes mild sedative effects. To get the best slumber during your trip, start eating two kiwis after dinner, three days before you travel.
2 - Sleeping material
When choosing your stay, check out the accommodation’s information on linens and curtains (often found in the provider’s photos or the “about” section when searching on KAYAK). Blackout curtains are perfect for minimising the effects of light pollution on your sleep.
3 - Morning sun
Exposure to the sun shortly after waking up via a morning walk or having breakfast outdoors supports in naturally adjusting your body clock.
4 - Try a "nappuccino"
If you need to nap when you arrive at your destination, try drinking a cup of coffee right before taking a 20-minute nap. The caffeine kicks in just as you wake up, combining the restorative effects of a short nap with an extra boost of alertness.
5 - Apply 90/20 rule for daily activities
Just like we have a night rhythm we also have a daytime one. Abide by the 90/20 rule - 20 minutes of downtime for every 90 minutes of activity - to promote better sleep in the evening.
Survey methodology:
An online survey was conducted by PureSpectrum targeting 2020 respondents across the UK who had ever been on holiday, either domestically or internationally, within the last two years. The data was collected between 14 - 18th March 2024.
Ranking methodology:
City selection
KAYAK considered the most clicked-on accommodation city destinations worldwide based on clicks made on KAYAK.co.uk from the 1st of January 2024 to the 31st of July 2024 for the travel period between the 7th of January 2024 and the 31st of December 2024. These cities were then shortlisted based on their proximity to natural landmarks such as mountains, lakes, rivers, beaches, hot springs and national parks. These shortlisted destinations were subsequently analysed against the following key factors: air quality, noise pollution, governance & political stability, access to accommodation with spa amenities, and accommodation prices.
Accommodation prices
KAYAK considered accommodation clicks to determine nightly prices for a standard double room in all accommodation categories with the search period between the 1st of January 2024 to the 31st of July 2024 and the travel period between the 7th of January 2024 and 31st of December 2024. Prices are on average in British Pound Sterling (GBP).
Air quality
Average Air Quality Index (AQI) for a city from the year 2023; scale 1-500 (best-worst). Source: Air Matters. “A global air-quality service provider: Providing real-time Air Quality Index & Allergy Pollen & Weather Data, as well as Protection Recommendations and Forecast."
Share of accommodations with spa amenities
The percentage of accommodations with a spa in a specific city is determined by calculating the proportion of accommodations with spa amenities compared to the total number of accommodations in that city that can be found on KAYAK. Only stays that have been reviewed in the past 2 years are taken into account.
Noise pollution
Average noise pollution in a city (in decibels) is calculated by taking the noise level scores in different neighbourhoods.
Source: Noise map. "Noise map is an interactive dashboard visualising the noise pollution generated from aircrafts and other transport means around the globe."
Governance and Political stability
Political stability and absence of violence/terrorism in a given country in 2022 (percentile rank).
Source: The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI). Sourced 21st August 2024.
Ranking creation
Values within each factor were first normalised using the following formulas:
score = (x - min(X)) / (max(X) - min(X))
and
score = 1 - (x - min(X)) / (max(X) - min(X))
for inverted values (e.g. average accommodation price, where the lower price is better) and then the final score of the factors has been calculated for each city.
Accommodation prices, Air Quality, Noise Pollution and Governance and Political stability have a weight of 1 and the share of accommodations with a spa has a weight of 0.5.
The post Dreamy Destinations: KAYAK’s Sleep Tourism Guide appeared first on KAYAK Blog UK.
