This European country is offering free trips - as long as you’re willing to give up your phone

Oil fuel prices are sending flights through the roof, so for many, this summer may just be spent living vicariously through everyone else on Instagram.

However, one European country is instead now offering keen travellers with super-charged screen time to ditch scrolling altogether and see the world, for no cost at all.

Three in five Gen Zers say they struggle to concentrate, citing mental overload, brain fog and a feeling of emptiness.

It's an alarming statistic, which is exactly why Austria Tourism has launched 'Austrian Synapse' - a new social experiment inviting five young people to spend five days in Austria completely offline.

Pexels

The landing page for the experiment bills it as an 'anti-brain rot' experience, and when you think about it, it's one we could all use a dose of.

Instead, the trip will involve a curated program designed to stimulate their brain — from sunrise hikes with stunning alpine views to baking and cooking classes, to getting their hands dirty on a local farm and rediscovering curiosity in Austria's cultural heritage. During this time, no phones or digital devices are allowed (emergencies aside - and no, we don't mean restoring your TikTok streak).

That means the only photos you'll have of the trip are the ones lovingly-crafted in your mind.

Austria Tourism

It comes as more people turn to wellness-led destinations in a bid to truly switch off from the outside world on their holidays. No more checking emails on a whim or overriding your OOO out of guilt.

"Our brains need time to not only receive information, but also to process and organise it", says neurobiologist and mental health expert Bernd Hufnagl of why this new initiative is more than just simply a gimmick.

"Having more unscheduled moments, spending less time on our smartphones and allowing ourselves more time to daydream helps us to become more mindful and recognise our own needs more easily", he adds.

"Rather than exposing the brain to more stimuli, a holiday should offer better ones: analogue experiences create the kind of attention and memory that we are losing in our digitally saturated daily lives.”

Applications are now open here, with five places available for Gen Z participants (aged 18-29 inclusive), in the UK.

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