For More Vibrant Travel Memories Don't Take So Many Photos

“If you don’t post it, it didn’t happen.”

We joke with our friends about it, but the pressure to post our travel experiences on social media is very real. New research shows the 30 seconds you spend to periodically stop and take a photo or video could impair your ability to take in the entirety of the moment, so maybe a complete memory is worth more than 1,000 photos?

A recent study published in the journal Psychological Science found that photos help us remember the visual details of an experience, but not necessarily the other sensory particulars that would normally be retained. “Our research is novel because it shows that photo-taking itself improves memory for visual aspects of an experience but can hurt memory for non-visual aspects, like auditory details,” the authors said.

The researchers also found that the mere presence of a camera can alter the way we experience an event. Study participants who photographed a scene were able to more accurately recall the items they photographed, as well as other aspects of the scene around them. Compared to participants without a camera, those visual memories were much clearer.

On the whole, the researchers found that taking photos was great for visual memory, but those other things that allow a person to be in the moment—touch, smell, taste—were somewhat negatively affected. So, taking pictures is great when you’re in a new and exciting place, but make sure to take a little time and take it all in. It’s worth it.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.