25 November 2009

Travelers seeking most stressed US city can find it in Chicago

When Princess Cruises commissioned Harris to determine which American city had the most stress, the answer was Chicago. Rounding out the top five most stressed were Houston, Boston, Los Angeles and San Diego.

But why is a cruise line evaluating city stress?

"Princess Cruises launched this barometer because we believe we offer Americans the perfect escape from their busy, frenetic lives; a way for people to break away from their everyday routine to refresh and relax," said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises’executive vice president. "Through the survey, we hoped to determine if people were feeling out of balance, and if so, what they need to get back on track."

The national survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive, reveals that even though Americans continue to strive for the ultimate life balance, which includes juggling work and personal priorities, only approximately one-quarter of people in the US actually have achieved this goal.

There’s hope, however, because the survey show that more than 53 percent of respondents saying they believe they will achieve life balance in the next five years.

And where can travelers find the least stress?

Residents of Miami, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Las Vegas and Dallas/Fort Worth say they have the most balance in their lives.

By David Wilkening