Wanderlove: are we really more attractive and alluring on holiday? More and more people are looking for love when they're abroad, and consider themselves better placed to do so. But there are potential pitfalls.
What is Wanderlove?
Name: Wanderlove. Age: Originally coined by the dating app Bumble in 2022 to describe a trend predicted for 2023. Appearance: Perhaps finally here in 2026. Is it when your date gets lost – allegedly – on their way to meet you? Because that can happen. Put simply, it's falling in love while on holiday.
The Concept
More specifically, it is the condition of being open to romance while travelling. As opposed to wanderlust – being open to sex while travelling? Wanderlust actually means a lust for travel, not travel for lust, but you've got the idea.
Why Wanderlove is Trending
Do people actually plan their holidays around falling in love at their destination? According to a Bumble survey, 53% of its users are hoping for a summer holiday romance. Seriously? Why? Well, also according to Bumble, the same percentage say they feel more attractive on holiday. They're fooling themselves. Nevertheless, a third of them use dating apps to meet people while travelling alone.
I think travel ought to provide, if nothing else, a break from dating apps. That's because you're living in 2022. Wake up. So when we say wanderlove, what we're really talking about is a hookup in an Airbnb with someone who isn't from your home town? Perhaps, but it's also possible that wanderlove could be the start of a long-distance relationship.
Potential Pitfalls
Ugh, I know how those work – a brief fling, an expensive visit apiece and then a tacit acknowledgment of defeat. It needn't be that way, if your love is strong. Just like those liqueurs you try on holiday and then bring home – shorn of their local context, they're just cloying. Actually, long-distance relationships have roughly the same success rate as regular relationships – about 60%. How can that be? Because they require the same things: commitment, trust, honesty and compromise.
Plus, one advantage of a long-distance partner is hardly ever having to see them. Anyway, we're not necessarily looking for anything long-term – more than half of Bumble users say that dating while abroad is a fun way to learn about a new culture. I suppose I can see the appeal of having sex with a stranger who knows which restaurants are good.
Conclusion
It sounds as if someone's coming down with a case of wanderlove … Maybe, but I need to know how long the holiday romance will last, so I can choose the appropriate airport car park – long stay, short stay or mid stay? Love is crazy … but mid stay should cover most eventualities. Do say: 'I love you despite – or perhaps due to – not being able to understand a word you say.' Don't say: 'I live in Reading, but this summer I'll be looking for love in Farnborough.'
