In honour of World Mental Health Week, we spoke with with Raquel Turner, Corporate Strategy Manager at Talkmind, to explore something we at utc.travel passionately believe in: the powerful link between travel and mental wellbeing.
Raquel works in corporate mental health support, and her insights highlight a truth that businesses can no longer afford to ignore — travel isn’t a luxury. It’s a wellbeing tool.
Travel as a Pathway to Better Mental Health
According to Raquel, travel plays a vital role in improving wellbeing and fostering healthier, more motivated teams. Here’s how:
1. Reducing Employee Burnout
Breaking routine and stepping away from daily pressures gives employees the time and space to restore cognitive and emotional energy. Even short trips can create meaningful resets that prevent long-term burnout.
2. Increasing Creativity & Engagement
Exposure to new places, cultures, and experiences stimulates the brain, encourages fresh thinking, and boosts curiosity. Employees return not just rested — but inspired.
3. Boosting Productivity
Well-rested employees consistently perform better. Travel provides opportunities for recovery, which in turn supports higher output and sharper focus back at work.
The Science Behind It: Travel & Depression Risk
Raquel highlighted a compelling study from the National Institutes of Health, which found that participants who had not travelled in a year had a 71% higher risk of experiencing symptoms of depression.
This data reinforces what many of us intuitively know — a change of environment can dramatically improve mental health. Read the study here.
Why Employers Need to Act Now
In every workplace, prioritising mental wellbeing isn’t just a moral responsibility — it’s a strategic advantage. When businesses invest in their people’s wellness, they see measurable improvements in retention, motivation, culture, and performance.
That’s exactly why we created The Ultimate Employee Benefit — a travel benefit designed to support better mental health, stronger teams, and happier employees.
Give Your Employees the Benefit They Truly Deserve
With utc.travel, you can empower your team with meaningful, accessible travel opportunities that transform wellbeing and workplace satisfaction. Book a demo today.
Let’s make employee wellbeing more than a talking point — let’s make it a reality.
