A research project conducted by scientists from two Australian universities in conjunction with the Singapore Tourist Board has resulted in the creation of a travel guide based on emotions.

A Singapore tourism group has created a travel guide based on emotions by measuring brainwaves. Image: Singapore Emotion Travel Guide

By studying the brainwaves of a family on vacation, the researchers drew up the Singapore Emotion Travel Guide, which advises future visitors of the emotions they can expect to experience at different attractions. This, they claim, will help people to tailor their perfect holiday.

During the study, headsets were attached to the members of the Australian family of Chantelle Ellem, aka blogger Fat Mum Slim during a visit to Singapore.

The headsets recorded their emotional responses to 20 different activities and experiences using electroencephalography, or EEG, which works by measuring the activity of billions of neurons inside the family's brains.

The family filled in a pre-experience questionnaire and were also asked about what they felt about each experience afterwards. They recorded emotions like excitement, fun, happiness, interest, stress and relaxation.

A Singapore tourism group has created a travel guide based on emotions by measuring brainwaves. Image: Singapore Emotion Travel Guide

The results indicated that that happiness and interest levels the family experienced while sightseeing around Little India for free were the same as the levels experienced while enjoying more expensive tourist attractions, such as ziplining.

Experiences involving wildlife ranked highly in terms of happiness among the children, and the adults also felt happy visiting Jurong Bird Park and Merlion Park. They recorded feeling relaxed while walking around the Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam.

A Singapore tourism group has created a travel guide based on emotions by measuring brainwaves. Image: Singapore Emotion Travel Guide

The family found the experiences that were unique to the city and couldn’t be found anywhere else most the most enjoyable during their stay, including the Garden Rhapsody light show at the Gardens by the Bay waterfront park. Compared with Western food, the children’s interest levels rose by 10 per cent when they were eating native Singaporean food and they were more excited by it.

To check out the Singapore Emotion Travel Guide, see here.