London, Aug 16 (IANS) People who avail mini-breaks have more happy memories than those who holiday for longer periods, a new study says.

The explanation is that people's enjoyment wanes as they become accustomed to their holiday lifestyle.

"On a long vacation, day seven is less good than day one because it's not as exciting," says a Telegraph report quoting Professor Dan Ariely, who teaches behavioural economy at the Duke University in North Carolina, US.

"That's why in general, going away four times (a year) provides more benefit than you would expect, and going away for one week provides less benefit than you would expect."

However, other experts disagree. Tim Harford, the author of Dear Undercover Economist, said taking an increased number of trips would only increase the stress associated with travelling to and from a holiday destination.

He said: "If you pack three times as many holidays into the same amount of leave, you can expect three times as much trouble. It's not obvious to me that it's worth it."