Within the first couple days of traveling, 89% of people report significant drops in stress levels and couples report experiencing increased feelings of intimacy towards each other. As a result, travel has been linked to a decrease in the development of heart disease and other types of stress-related conditions.

At least according to research presented at 2016’s Happiness 360 Conference, an international symposium hosted in partnership with the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations.

The connection between travel and happiness was the focus of the event, which also shared results from the 2016 study of Aruba’s “Happiness Index.” With a whopping 78 percent of Arubans reporting they are happy, Aruba is quite literally the happiest place on earth, relative to size, says Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, CEO of the Aruba Tourism Authority.

Compare this to the 2016 World Happiness Report, commissioned by the United Nations, to measure the happiness of 157 larger countries. The top spot on that list was Denmark, at about 75.3 percent—lower than Aruba.

But why should we care about happiness (defined more specifically as subjective well-being)? Empirical evidence has proven, and experts agree, that people who are happier are healthier, more creative and more productive.

Here’s why the happiest place on earth, and the world’s foremost experts on the topic, say travel is a key to happiness.

Travel rewires your brain

Neuroscientists have shown that new experiences can build new neuropathways in the brain. So when you travel, you can rewire your brain. This can bring increased creativity, and the connection between mental (and physical) health and creativity is clearly established by research.

Experts say new experiences can also spark feelings of compassion.“Travel makes us different people. It opens our hearts, opens our minds and we see the world differently,” saysTaleb Rifai, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization. “The world will be a better place when we travel.”

Travel improves your relationships

The results have been clear. “The people who were the happiest and healthiest were the people most connected to other people, to friends, family and community,”

Deepen those relationships by doing something new together, he says. Experiences connect us to other people in a way that material objects cannot, he says. “Some of the most important memories of my life are travel. Some of the closest times I’ve had with my family have been because of travel,” he says.

Experiences are more satisfying than things

Studies have proven that people experience greater, long-term happiness when they spend their money on experiences, rather than things.

When reminded of an experience they recently had, people feel greater happiness than when remembering a thing. And that amplifies as we get older.

“Over time, our satisfaction with a thing we buy goes down, and our satisfaction with an experience goes up.”. “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer, and research confirms this.”

Bad experiences become great stories

Even the bad things that happen on vacation open up opportunities for sharing with others. And sharing is another way to build connections. “We can all become storytellers about our journeys.”