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Feeling sad? Researchers at Britain's University of Leicester reckon you might just be in the wrong country. According to Adrian White, an analytic social psychologist at Leicester who developed the first "World Map of Happiness," Denmark is the happiest nation in the world.



White's research used a battery of statistical data, plus the subjective responses of 80,000 people worldwide, to map out well-being across 178 countries. Denmark and five other European countries, including Switzerland, Austria, and Iceland, came out in the top 10, while Zimbabwe and Burundi pulled up the bottom.

Not surprisingly, the countries that are happiest are those that are healthy, wealthy, and wise. "The most significant factors were health, the level of poverty, and access to basic education," White says. Population size also plays a role. Smaller countries with greater social cohesion and a stronger sense of national identity tended to score better, while those with the largest populations fared worse. China came in No. 82, India ranked 125, and Russia was 167. The U.S. came in at 23.

IT'S SUBJECTIVE.

White's study, to be published later this year, was developed in part as a response to the British media's fascination with life satisfaction. A recent BBC survey concluded that 81% of Britain's population would rather the government make them happier than richer.

Despite its often bleak weather, England ranked relatively happy at 41. "There is increasing political interest in using measures of happiness as a national indicator along with measures of wealth," White says. "We wanted to illustrate the effects of global poverty on subjective well-being to remind people that if they want to address unhappiness as an issue the need is greatest in other parts of the world."

To produce the "Happy Map," White dug deep. He analyzed data from a variety of sources including UNESCO, the CIA, The New Economics Foundation, and the World Health Organization. He then examined the responses of 80,000 people surveyed worldwide.

MONEY STILL COUNTS.

Good health may be the key to happiness, but money helps open the door. Wealthier countries, such as Switzerland (2) and Luxembourg (10) scored high on the index. Not surprisingly, most African countries, which have little of either; scored poorly. Zimbabwe, which has an AIDS rate of 25%, an average life expectancy of 39, and an 80% poverty rate, ranked near the bottom at 177. Meanwhile, the conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis gave fellow Africans in Burundi, ranked 178, even less to smile about, despite their having a slightly lower poverty rate of 68%.

Capitalism, meanwhile, fared quite well. Free-market systems are sometimes blamed for producing unhappiness due to insecurity and competition, but the U.S. was No. 23 and all the top-ranking European countries are firmly capitalist—albeit of a social-democratic flavor.

White says the only real surprise in his findings was how low many Asian countries scored. China is 82, Japan 90, and India an unhappy 125. "These are countries that are thought as having a strong sense of collective identity, which other researchers have associated with well-being," he says.

ARE WE HAPPY YET?

White admits that happiness is subjective. But he defends his research on the grounds that his study focused on life satisfaction rather than brief emotional states. "The frustrations of modern life, and the anxieties of the age, seem to be much less significant compared to the health, financial, and educational needs in other parts of the world."

One of the study's intentions was to see how Britain, given media preoccupation with well-being, fared compared to other parts of the globe. His conclusion: "The current concern with happiness levels in the U.K. may well be a case of the 'worried well.'"

To take a tour of the world's happiest countries, click here.

Tourism Technology is a term coined by the Korea Tourism Organization, which refers to the recent trend of incorporating technology within the tourism industry.

Definition of Tourism Technology

The convergence of industries has forced people to create terminology such as information technology, biotechnology, ubiquitous technology and even cultural technology to explain frequently talked about topics. Tourism Technology is a term that encompasses all social, cultural, managerial, and value-adding activities of the tourism industry. Tourism Technology also incorporates and encourages technological advancements and economic development in the tourism industry.

The Origin of Tourism Technology

"Tourism Technology", initially based on the concept of cultural technology, is a more comprehensive term covering knowledge used to add to the value of tourism products on a micro level and the management of the travel and tourism industry on a macro level. New tourism products are also the end result of tourism technology combining with other industries. These include medical tourism, educational tourism, agricultural tourism, marine tourism and the application of information technology to the travel and tourism industry.

Application of Tourism Technology

The term "technology" can easily call to mind scientific achievements, computer graphic skills, special effects and other engineering-related images. However, "Tourism Technology" encompasses the integrated fields mentioned in the previous paragraph, statistics, managerial and socio-cultural know-how, and skills that the tourism industry can adopt to design, produce, and market various tourism products. In addition to coordinating various aspects of human resources in the travel and tourism industry, “Tourism Technology” describes a comprehensive field containing but not limited to such widely referred to subjects as entertainment technology, contents technology and creative technology. és feio .

Software for Tourists


One of the latest applications is software that permits tourists to customize their visits according to their preferences. Luis Castillo Vidal, computer engineer of the University of Granada and one of the authors of the study, points out that, in order to design the customized visit plans, they have used Artificial Intelligence techniques, “a science that provides computers with abilities to solve problems which, in principle, can only be solved by humans”.

Users must have access to the internet, either through a computer, a mobile phone or a PDA, in order to be able to access a web where they can define their preferences and needs, such as their artistic, cultural and gastronomic preferences, their lifestyle and favourite hours, whether they are disabled or not and the spending capacity.

The new “adaptive user-focused system to plan tourist visits”, as their authors describe it, means “step forward” in the current trend of tourist activities automation, such as the online payment of transport tickets and accommodation, or the use of audio-guides in the monuments tours .

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

No. 10: Austria

Population: 8,205,533
Life Expectancy: 79
GDP Per Capita: $38,400

With a high standard of living, first-rate schools, and some of the best alpine real estate in Europe, this home of musical talents ranging from Mozart to the Von Trapp Family ranks happily at No. 10 in the world. Once the seat of the Hapsburg Empire, which reached as far east as Ukraine and Transylvania and as far south as Bosnia, Austria today supports a heterogeneous mix of people. Thousands of Hungarians and Croats live within its borders, as well as Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and Jews, making Austria one of the most pluralistic nations in Western Europe.



No. 9: Canada

Population: 33,212,696
Life Expectancy: 81
GDP Per Capita: $38,400

Hard winters and a mind-numbingly vast expanse of land don't get the world's ninth-happiest people down. A member of the Group of Eight industrialized countries, Canada has enjoyed a rapidly growing economy since the early 1990s. Equalization payments are spread among richer and poorer provinces to maintain a balance in federal administration. Strong nationalism, ethnic and religious tolerance, and a welcoming atmosphere for immigrants and refugees also factor into Canada's status as one of the world's happiest countries.


No. 8: Netherlands

Population: 16,654,313
Life Expectancy: 79
GDP Per Capita: $38,500

Europe's most densely populated country, the Netherlands' famously liberal approach to recreational drugs, prostitution, homosexuality, abortion, and euthanasia make it the most socially tolerant society in the world—a factor that may contribute to its ranking as the eighth-happiest. Religion, on the other hand, plays little role: Fewer than 20% of people go to church in what has become a largely secular country. Unemployment is the lowest in Europe, and the U.N. Children's Fund ranks the Netherlands first in the world for child well-being.


No. 7: Switzerland

Population: 7,581,520
Life Expectancy: 81
GDP Per Capita: $41,100

A stable government and a tradition of neutrality in the historical wars of its neighbors have helped make Switzerland a stronghold of banking and one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Its fairy-tale alpine setting offers breathtaking views at the top of the world. And its mixed population is an accepted facet of life: German, French, and Italian are all national languages, and two women have been elected president there since 1998. The Swiss also enjoy an unmatched degree of "direct democracy," whereby citizens are able to directly petition the government to hold referenda that can topple laws passed by parliament.


No. 6: Ireland

Population: 4,156,119
Life Expectancy: 78
GDP Per Capita: $43,100

"Luck o' the Irish" aptly summarizes the surprising optimism that pervades life in this sixth-ranked country, where the pub lies at the heart of cultural, social, and political life. Ireland's starkly beautiful maritime scenery and captivating, lyrical language may explain some of its happiness, but economics likely play an even bigger role. Only a century ago, the Irish were fleeing famine and poverty by the millions. But since the 1990s, the "Celtic Tiger" has roared to life, turning Ireland into the second wealthiest country per capita in the world, behind only Japan. The change has brought hundreds of thousands of new workers from Eastern Europe and Asia to a place that now offers relative political stability and free education at all levels, as well as a focus on traditional values.


No. 5: Northern Ireland

Only 10 years ago, Northern Ireland was wracked by grisly religious violence known as "The Troubles" that killed thousands of Catholic Nationalists and Protestant Unionists. Now, thanks to peace, Northern Ireland—officially a "constituent country" of Britain—has emerged just ahead of Ireland to occupy fifth place among the world's happiest countries. Since the start of ceasefires in the 1990s, millions of British pounds have been invested in the regeneration of Northern Ireland's infrastructure, and a newfound pride and optimism is keeping young talent from emigrating. Like Ireland, the strengthening economy also is attracting foreign labor.


No. 4: Iceland

Population: 304,367
Life Expectancy: 81
GDP Per Capita: $38,800

It's not as icy as its name suggests. No. 4-ranked Iceland, an island nation at the edge of the Arctic Circle, is home to a happy community of coastal residents who enjoy almost unparalleled economic and civic freedoms. Priding itself on egalitarian values, Iceland elected its first female head of state in 1980, and in 1996, Parliament passed legislation to create registered partnerships for same-sex couples, covering nearly all the rights and benefits of marriage. Additionally, with 99% fuel independence and no standing army, Icelanders appear confident about their future security.


No. 3: Colombia

Population: 45,013,674
Life Expectancy: 73
GDP Per Capita: $6,700

Today it's the world's third happiest country, but "cocaine" and "cartel" are traditionally more easily associated with Colombia than "carefree" and "contented." The change: Surging tourism and economic growth have accompanied the South American country's efforts in recent years to reassert control over its decades-old rebel violence and lucrative drug operations. Even though per capita income is far lower than in the top 10 countries, Colombia's literacy rate is 94%, well above the world average. And the ethnically tolerant country supports thriving coastal communities of Arabs, Jews, Italians, Germans, French, Portuguese, and Roma descendants.


No. 2: Puerto Rico

Population: 3,958,128
Life Expectancy: 79
GDP Per Capita: $19,600

With the U.S. rated at a disappointing 16th on the list of happiest countries, the World Values Survey saw fit to separate Puerto Rico, an American territory that's culturally closer to its Latin American cousins. The result: The self-described "Island of Enchantment" ranked No. 2 in the world, despite having per capita income lower than Mississippi and receiving less than 15% of the Medicaid funding it would be allotted as a state. But Puerto Ricans, who enjoy permanent summer weather, a vibrant musical heritage, and idyllic emerald beaches, pay no federal income taxes.


No. 1: Denmark

Population: 5,484,723
Life Expectancy: 78
GDP Per Capita: $37,400

The center of world happiness is neither an Alpine fantasy getaway nor a topaz Caribbean paradise. It's a cold, windy, maritime nation on the North Sea that Vikings once called home and which was the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet. The Danes proudly attribute their status as the world's happiest country to a balance in managing a free and powerful economy, high standards in education, social safety nets, and wide acceptance of outsiders. Kate Vial, an American expat who has lived in Denmark for more than 30 years, says that the attitude among Danish people is summed up in one word—"hygge" (pronounced hooga). Difficult to translate and even harder to comprehend, hygge roughly describes a cozy, convivial sentiment that involves strong family bonds. "The gist of it is that you are not supposed to have anything to do except let go," Vial says.