It’s a common mistake to associate a successful vacation to taking an expensive plane to an overseas destination. At least, this is what a staycation proposes: taking your mind on the euphoric but relaxing state that any vacation would give you but without the prolonged travel time. During the pandemic, many enthusiastic travelers had to cancel their plans and settle for an alternative, finding staycations the gateway to escape routine while supporting their local communities. But will the staycations trend continue when the regular way of vacationing returns?
What is a staycation?
A staycation, also known as holistay in the Europe, is a vacation spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions. Staycations are nothing new. Staycations achieved popularity in the U.S. during the financial crisis of 2007–2010, and also became a popular trend in the UK in 2009 as a weak pound sterling made overseas holidays significantly more expensive. Staycations, similar to glamping and bleisure travel are trends that keep on growing.
Is vacationing near home “a thing”?
Staycation is a way in which people can enjoy leisure time doing unusual activities while being near home (or even at home). Things like visiting amusement parks, swimming in a local lake or hiking up nearby trails are some of the activities that can be done during a staycation and that won’t require spending lots of money on long travel journeys.
A staycation can last from a day, to a weekend, to a full week and more. It provides enough flexibility for being planned as wanted. And some travel companies are already seeing this as an opportunity for bringing great experiences to “staycationers”.
Who offers staycations?
A staycation can be done at home, but some people may prefer to get further away from their routines and book an accommodation nearby that can bring them better relaxing time. This is where LateRooms sees an opportunity and presents LateCottages for the UK. This site offers the possibility to rent cottages, lodges, apartments or any space that can work for successful staycations.
One big feature of staycations is that these are often more spontaneous. The main benefit for the clients to use specialized websites, like LateCottages, is that they offer facilities for staycationers to book accommodations at the last minute, leaving them stress-free of the planning process.
Staycations before and after COVID-19
Staycations represent a way in which families have always escaped their routines spontaneously without sacrificing their budgets. During this pandemic, staycations became the only way for everyone to find leisure times at their homes and around. So, even though staycations may decrease as the common tourism opens, now more people are aware of how they can get their deserved vacations without having to spend tons of money on overseas flights.
Travel companies need to reinvent themselves with innovative ideas in order to stay afloat short and mid term. Staycations, if marketed and packaged correctly, can be one stepping stone towards that objective.