FOREWORD

"Getting away from the familiar, natural environment is a bit like the experience we hear about from astronauts who have travelled through the stratosphere: they return to a different view of the nature and people around them, of the small details of life, than before. It's a fascinating feeling, but with a bitter aftertaste of melancholy nostalgia."

/Gábor Holch/

Travelling is an event in all our lives that is preceded by anticipation and longing, as it allows us to discover new places and new customs, and provides a series of experiences that help us to see our everyday life from a new perspective.

The changes brought about by the current pandemic have perhaps further strengthened the desire to travel, to discover and to meet, which is not only an experience but also an integral part of our health, enriching our bodies and our souls, and bringing us closer to those happy moments that Mihály Csíkszentmihályi described in his experience of flow.

By exploring the world, we can have experiences that take the monotony out of everyday life, and the special stories and memories that allow us to live life itself, significantly improving our subjective quality of life, which is not affected by how far we travel.
Research on leisure and quality of life has a long history, but it is only in the 21st century that the impact of travel, whether for recreation or for a profession, on quality of life has become a focus of research.

When I read various social research papers on the satisfaction of the Hungarian population with life, which, although not the best, are not alarmingly bad, I always wonder how all this can be improved in a way that involves the active participation of the members of society. One solution to all this is to organise our leisure time more consciously, to set goals and to embark on a happy journey by learning about a particular area.

Dr. Szilvia Beke
Associate Dean, Professor
Member of the Editorial Board
Gál Ferenc University Faculty of Health and Social Sciences
5700 Gyula, Szent István u. 17-19.