Northstar

4 | www.travelweekly-asia.com VOICES Three years ago, Patrick Marsden read a white paper by two Cornell psychologists who concluded that spending money on experiences provides more lasting pleasure than purchasing material goods. A bit later, he came across an article that detailed research by a team of undercover neuroscientists who embedded themselves in a group of 35 travellers in the Moroccan desert. They observed the impact of smartphone technology and what happens when it's withdrawn. Meanwhile, he was gathering data on millennials' alarmingly high rates of depression and anxiety. In the midst of consuming all this research, he had an epiphany in which he believes he identified a significant "responsibility and opportunity" for the travel industry. Marsden is director of travel for MaCher, a designer and manufacturer of, among other things, customised logo products for travel suppliers. He has now made it his mission to share his insights with the travel industry at large. Marsden -- at age 33, a millennial himself -- was acutely aware of his peers' high levels of depression and anxiety. Marsden rattles off, rapid fire, the reasons why: "educational pressure, achievement pressure, poor economy, student loan debt, outrageous housing market and the realisation that we may never achieve the same quality of life as our parents." He discovered only one constant across all millennial demographics: the impact of digital connectivity. "Cell phones may be the cigarettes of our generation," he said. "We spend more time on screens than we do sleeping. Half of us are addicted to our phones, Switching off and taking off 8 CONTENT 3 TALKING POINT Schrager talks disruption 4 VOICES Switching off and taking off 6 DATABANK What's up for 2018? 7 TECH TALKING KATE and LEO, the IT couple in the robotics world 11 AVIATION United Airlines launches new route; Polaris business class experience 12 PRODUCT: FAMILY TRAVEL Icy fun at Japan's ski resorts 14 DESTINATION: THAILAND Top eats and activities in Chiang Mai 15 DESTINATION: MALAYSIA Desaru Coast makes a splash 18 CRUISEWORLD ASIA SPECIAL: The inaugural cruise conference, in pictures 23 BEST OF GLOBAL WRAP Top news from TWA's daily e-newsletter Clockwise from top: Hong Kong on track for a big 2018; Swimming with sharks is an option for thrill seekers; Caveau dégustation at Saint Felix wine cellar. checking them 150 to 250 times a day. "Our concentration spans have been ruined. Collectively, these behaviours are five times more likely to make us depressed." The undercover neuroscientists in Morocco he read about were in the employ of a company called Kovert Design. They had observed a group of invited travellers who were first connected to their devices in a hotel setting, then taken into a desert without them. The group dynamic changed dramatically once they were disconnected from the Internet. Posture improved. There was more eye contact. People engaged in conversations at much greater rates. Marsden said he believes that millennial depression and anxiety, left unaddressed, will lead to a mental health crisis that will affect the workplace, interpersonal relationships and, ultimately, the economy. Seeing the potential impact of the negative millennial behavioural trends, he has launched what he hopes will be a movement within the industry called "Switch Off Take Off." As to which consumers will be early adopters, his instinct is, "It's going to start with the wealthy. Initially, disconnecting is going to be a luxury of the rich." But once there is greater supply of these experiences and the general population realises both how insidious connectivity can be and how beneficial a retreat from it is, the trend "will spread out like ... kale and yoga," he said with a laugh. 16 This is a slightly abridged version of an article that first appeared in Travel Weekly USA. Arnie Weissmann has been involved in virtually every aspect of travel jour- nalism, publishing and media for the past 25 years. His writing has won more than 40 national awards, he created the industry's first destination information service (Weissmann Reports), authored a best-selling textbook and has served as publisher of critical hotel and destination guides for the travel industry. PHOTO CREDIT: MUSTANG_79/GETTY IMAGES 22 PHOTO CREDIT:DANIELVFUNG/GETTYIMAGES

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