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Why you should revisit places you've been before

12th November 2013

Travel agents are often inundated with requests for itineraries full of imaginative places the client has never been to before but what about returning to those destinations you’ve already seen?

Our travels are so often shaped by the stage of life and the company we're with. This means that if you were to return with someone different, years later, you could end up enjoying a vastly different experience than you did on your original stop.

Take for example, paying another visit to the Eiffel Tower. On a return visit, you may have a far greater appreciation of the architecture and the history of the site – rather than the number of photographs you can take to prove you made it to the top.

If you were alone or with friends before and now take a partner or spouse, it’s inevitable that you will see any familiar sight with fresh eyes and no doubt, unveil the romance of a particular city.

There is also the possibility that since your previous visit, a place has changed from what you once knew. Whether it be politically or even structurally. Consider the city of Christchurch in New Zealand. Once a laid-back town and now a thriving hub of growth and new possibilities, change has been driven by the advent of earthquakes that defined the landscape and all those within it.

A different season can also bring totally different experiences.  Ice-skating in Central Park welcomes a whole new side of New York city than summer rooftop bars and street markets.

Whether it’s you, your company, or the place itself, there are many reasons why you shouldn’t strike off a destination simply because you’ve seen it all before. You never know what you might discover during your second, or even third trip. And for savvy travellers like yourself, there's only so many countries you visit before you need to start considering a return trip...