A string of psychological studies supports what most already know: We are more open to romance and new experiences when we go on holiday. Several factors, such as freedom from responsibilities and a change of routine, help to create the ideal setting.
Summer holidays offer more opportunities to socialise, helped by longer days and warmer weather. It’s also easier to connect with people who are more relaxed.
Dating apps can also open up possibilities for holiday romances. In a 2022 Bumble survey of 14,300 users, one-third said they were open to travel and relationships with people not in their city.
Those who use dating apps while abroad say ‘wander love’ can enhance their experience of the places they visit, allowing them to see things through the eyes of their new date, someone from the area or familiar with the local or cultural ways.
We also tend to increase our activity level and exercise more in warm weather. This movement can boost our mood and make us more open to love. But beware, holidays can also lead us to try more risky activities.
A classic Canadian experiment on how a shared, frightening experience can make a stranger appear more attractive was carried out in 1974, known as the suspension-bridge experiment.
In short, it involved a young woman stopping men on a suspension bridge on a windy day and asking them to complete a questionnaire for her study. She then gave each man her number and asked them to call her so she could talk some more about her research. The same set-up was repeated on a stable bridge that did not rock in the wind.
The study found that most of the men stopped on the suspension bridge engaged more fully and followed up with a phone call, while the majority of men from the stable bridge didn’t. There was no significant difference between the questionnaire results or phone call follow-ups, regardless of the bridge type when the female interviewer was swapped out for a male counterpart.
The findings inferred that we could interpret our feelings of fear as an attraction for someone we encounter while experiencing those physiological responses, a phenomenon called misattribution of arousal.
Studies carried out since, based on the suspension-bridge experiment, have found that as levels of adrenaline increase, so too do levels of attraction. So, if you are open to a holiday romance this year, maybe swap that safe, reliable holiday for a more thrill-seeking one.
It is reasonable to understand how warm, sunny days can leave us more open to the suggestion of romance, but can a summer holiday change our chemistry?
We know prolonged exposure to sunlight can lead to skin cancer, but controlled, short to moderate exposure may benefit our health and our love lives.
Sunlight can increase serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that boosts our mood. Studies also show an elevation in our endorphin and dopamine levels in response to sun exposure.
Endorphins are neurotransmitters that can reduce pain and stress and create a sense of wellbeing. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that gives us a natural high, a sense of bliss. These neurotransmitters are often called ‘happy hormones’ and can increase our sense of happiness, confidence and even love.
A study with mice showed increased sex hormones in males and females after 30 minutes of exposure to sunlight (UVB light) and an enhanced female receptiveness towards males. The same study then went on to report that, in humans, solar exposure has been shown to enhance romantic passion in all genders.
A sun holiday may be good for heart health as well as romantic affairs of the heart. A 2022 study found increased levels of the hormone ghrelin in male study participants exposed to 25 minutes of sunlight (UVB light). Ghrelin is reported to reduce heart inflammation and muscle wasting, suggesting that moderate sun exposure may help to protect against cardiovascular disease.
In a 2019 Syracuse University study, scientists found that the more holidays a person takes a year, the less likely they are to develop metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that include high cholesterol, hypertension and type 2 diabetes, that together can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
As sunshine is a critical factor in seasonal romance, an Irish summer may not always fan the flames of passion. Maybe some travel is required, or, if that’s not an option, dust off the child of Prague statue.
