We recently compiled a list of the 20 Most Relaxed Cities in the United States and in this article, we will talk about the most relaxed city in the United States.
Relaxed Cities: An Escape from Workplace Stress
Workplace stresses are taking over the lives of employees all over the world. According to the data from the 2023 Work in America Survey, 77% of workers said that they had experienced work-related stress in the last working month. 57% of workers mentioned that they have been experiencing negative impacts because of workplace stress. Constant exposure to workplace stresses leads to burnout-like symptoms. 31% of the workers said they were experiencing emotional exhaustion, 26% had low motivation and 23% had a desire to quit.
The lack of proper breaks from work is adding to the distress of the workers in the United States. Only 35% of the survey respondents said that their employer supports a culture where breaks are encouraged. Furthermore, only 40% of the respondents said that their time off from work is respected by their employers. As employees become stressed out their engagement in their work falls.
According to the results of the State of the Global Workplace by Gallup, low employee engagement is causing a loss of almost $8.9 trillion in the global GDP. The high amount makes up 9% of global GDP. 52% of the employees showed an intent to leave their current jobs and mentioned how they are actively seeking better options. Therefore, maintaining a work-life harmony with reasonable breaks is likely to benefit the employees and employers alike.
Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being has made a list of five essentials for the well-being of the workers and workplace including work-life harmony. Work-life harmony directly correlates with the human need for autonomy and flexibility. The autonomy of how, when, and where a person works combined with the flexibility to take breaks has been seen to foster the psychological well-being of the workers. Workers with more autonomy over their time reported having good or excellent mental health, 79%, compared to the workers with less control, 44%.
With tourism rates returning to normal post-pandemic levels, taking a break from work stresses offers a good opportunity to take care of a person’s mental health and restore work-life harmony. On June 23, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported breaking the record for the most people screened in a single day, 2.99 million. The TSA forecasted the screening of almost 32 million individuals from June 27 through July 8. The numbers show a surge of 5.4% compared to the 2023 Independence Day holiday travel volumes. The high volumes of passengers imply the success of TSA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in securing the national transportation systems. The United States is one of the Countries with the Most Domestic Tourism in the World.
Return To Normal and Planning Trips
With the return of traveling, the outdoor recreation industry in the United States is thriving. According to the data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2022, the value added by the outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.2% of the total gross domestic product (GDP). The percentage corresponded to a staggering $563.7 billion. The values among states varied widely from Hawaii adding 5.6% to Connecticut adding 1.4%. Incorporation of activities in the trip itinerary uplifts the whole trip. On May 14, Tripadvisor Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) released the results of its annual Summer Travel Index. 44% of the respondents said that they are planning to travel more than last year. Furthermore, 26% of Americans said that they are planning to spend more than $5,000 on their travels this summer. 85% of Americans said that experiences are an important part of their travel budget. Outdoor activities including amusements and water parks were at the top of the list with 32%.
Tripadvisor Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) is a noteworthy company that offers travel guidance, products, and services. It was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts. The company operates in three main segments namely Brand Tripadvisor, Viator, and TheFork. All platforms allow users to browse through reviews and ratings, left by other users, for a range of travel essentials including restaurants, accommodations, and experiences. Viator is focused on travel experiences and TheFork is restaurant-centric.
On May 8, the company reported the earnings for the fiscal first quarter of 2024. The company reported an EPS of $0.12, beating estimates by $0.08. The company’s revenue for the quarter grew by 6.47% and amounted to $395 million, ahead of market consensus by $243.93K. Here are some comments from the company’s earnings call:
“We were pleased with our first quarter results, which represented a solid start to the year across the board. Revenue was $395 million, reflecting year-over-year growth of 6%, and adjusted EBITDA was $47 million, or 12% of revenue. Our results are a testament to our aligned strategy and the disciplined financial and operational execution of our teams.”
The company mentioned that its primary markets are English-speaking countries and North America. It is leveraging the latest technologies including AI to deliver more personalized experiences and increased engagement. AI-powered trip planning flow is a tool that allows Tripadvisor to suggest bookable experiences based on user preferences. The users select a theme for their trip from various options including hidden gems or historical landmarks. AI then makes relevant suggestions for bookable experiences. Users with commerce-focused interests have been noted to generate 50% higher average revenue than others.
On June 25, the company announced a collaboration with Amazon. The partnership entails the integration of Viator’s catalog of travel experiences into Amazon’s Alexa Smart Properties. An Echo Show device, present in the room, will enable the guests to see local travel activities using the Viator experience on Alexa. Users will use intuitive voice and touch interactions to browse. Guests will be able to find new activities and book them using a QR code on their in-room device screen. It will allow hoteliers to enhance in-room concierge services. The collaboration will also generate additional revenue for hotels through bookings made via the Echo Show devices, with a revenue share arrangement.
Platforms like Tripadvisor allow users to plan their trips efficiently and gather insights from the experiences of other people. One of the main reasons people travel is to relax and refresh themselves. We have made a list of the most relaxed cities in the United States. You can also read the 15 Most Unique and Unusual Museums in the World.
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Our Methodology
To make our list of the 20 most relaxed cities in the United States, we initially compiled a list of the 40 best places to live in New Jersey by sifting through 5 online rankings. After making the list, we turned to Reddit to conduct a sentiment analysis and found 15 high-engagement threads that mentioned the most relaxed cities in the United States. We have only used threads with at least 100 comments for our ranking. After reading all the comments, we aggregated and tabulated the number of upvotes for each place. We have only included places with at least 150 upvotes in our list. Upvotes have been used as a primary metric for this list. The list has been arranged in the ascending order of the primary metric.
Note: This list is not exhaustive and does not reflect our opinion. The ranking is solely based on the opinions of Reddit users.
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The Most Relaxed City in the United States
1. San Diego
Upvotes: 1,068
San Diego is located in California. It is the most relaxed city in the United States based on our analysis. The city has a mild climate and captivating natural beauty. The extensive networks of beaches and parks attract thousands of people every year. The city has strong industries including tourism, international trade, and manufacturing. The presence of quality education institutions in the city also attracts international students. UC San Diego and San Diego State University are among the top universities in the city. The San Diego International Airport remains busy all year round welcoming people from around the globe. Balboa Park, in San Diego, is at the center of a range of cultural activities. It includes 17 museums and performing arts venues. Festivals including the San Diego Contemporary Art Fair and the San Diego Restaurant Week, which is biannual, showcase the rich culture of the city.
Interested to see other most relaxed cities in the United States? Head over to our free detailed report on the 20 Most Relaxed Cities in the United States.
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