Staycation has become a new trend in the COVID times

Staycation has become a new trend in the COVID times

Manish MittalUpdated: Saturday, September 18, 2021, 05:31 PM IST
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Staycations are an escape that doesn’t actually include traveling to faraway places, yet provides people with the varied options to break free for a day or two to enjoy something new. | Photo: Pexels

The very first sector that has been poorly hit by the global health crisis is the travel and tourism industry with global lockdowns and restrictive advisories. History has been proof enough of how pandemics have had a “direct and immediate” repercussion on hotels chains, travel aggregators, restaurants, and modes of transportation. Tourists have been calling off their long-planned vacations, honeymoons, and corporate trips. However, there has been a silver lining. The ones who have been postponing their trips previously are now gradually shifting to domestic travel options — ‘staycations’.

The eponymous word has been derived from ‘stay’ and ‘vacation’. It is an escape that doesn’t actually include traveling to faraway places, yet provides people with the varied options to break free for a day or two to enjoy something new. A day’s agenda for a family or an individual on a staycation may incorporate staying in a resort/hotel within a radius of a few 10s or 100s km, having dinner at a new café, going to an art exhibition, spending a day at a local fest, or attempting new adventure activities.

The concept of traveling has been ever-evolving. Lately, the term has transformed to incorporate more nearby encounters — locals seeking a break from their typical everyday monotonous routine. Indulging in staycations offers them an opportunity to partake some much-needed time off without paying a hefty amount for a getaway. Truth be told, according to Google Trends data, searches for ‘staycations’ have been up by 10 per cent over the years.

Here is a closer look at how staycations have become a noteworthy trend, especially in COVID times.

Home away from home

With the pandemic came an impromptu ‘work from home model’ that brought along hectic schedules and longer working hours. People, especially the ones who have been ‘working from home’ ever since the global health crisis took the world by storm, perhaps, need a little time off of being cooped up in the four walls of their houses. And a prolonged WFH scenario can result in cabin fever. So, there must be something for them to differentiate between work and home.

Taking breaks in between the work may not have as obvious and significant benefits as taking a proper holiday has. Ergo, a short break now seems more important than ever as even studies have shown that breaks prevent stress. While some people, because of severe travel limitations and safety concerns, are fine vacationing at home, others favor a nearby getaway. This is where concepts like staycations come to their rescue.

As per many reports and studies, the WFH model will be likely to continue even after the Covid-19 crisis subsides. Hence, it’s clear that millions of people, who couldn’t travel due to restrictions and juggling between WFH and household responsibilities, can now easily afford to go on staycations without worrying about taking leaves.

People can save their paid leaves for another important occasion or an emergency situation, and make the most of a long weekend or even weekdays to enjoy their refreshing break. Getting rid of long traveling times to and from a destination, hotel searching, and other part and parcels of it means that people can take advantage of the core experience such as kayaking, a hiking trip, fishing excursion, or a simple round of boating in the nearby lake.

The pandemic has, certainly, not just transformed the way we work but the way people holiday as well.

Saves your zeros

Staycation is one of the amazing examples of saving money as well as making the most of your short break. Therefore, many travelers go for it blindly. Fluctuating flight costs and the additional expenses related to traveling, especially when little kids or pets are along, many times put a burden on their budget.

Staying nearby means there is no compelling reason to book a flight, lodging stay, or even a vehicle rental. The travelers can easily opt for their choice of mode of transportation and even pack their own meals if they wish to save on the expense of the food for the day. Even though this is somewhat obvious, it is interesting to be noted. Also, for some people, the concept of international travel simply doesn’t exist on account of the expenses involved.

Even with modest flights and extraordinarily cheap hotel rates, other costs involved in traveling push expenses up. So rather than saving the entire year for just one costly excursion, travelers are discovering ways where they can take multiple rejuvenating getaways and enjoy it comparably much.

Can be rewarding

Individuals usually get so lost in the fervor of traveling abroad that they fail to remember their own country is not less than a dream destination for many. Staycations give people a chance to visit the enormous destinations they’ve never gotten an opportunity to, or unearth hidden gems in remotest locations. It is literally the ideal method to truly ‘turn off’ from the everyday drill, and figure out how to reconnect with family, unwind, re-energize, and master new skill sets.

Summing up

Staycations are the perfect choices for families as well as individuals that are confused about how to spend their days off, trying to balance their worries about their finances and anxiety toward Covid-19, with their yearning for the sake of enjoyment and unwinding. It’s also the only best option for crisis-hit economies. Bon voyage

Manish Mittal is Founder & Managing Director of Panoramic Episodes & Concierge Stay.

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