The term staycation is a portmanteau of “stay” and “vacation”. Alternatively, some use holistay, a portmanteau of “holiday” and “stay”, (yes, we love portmanteaus… just look at how often we talk about glamping – “glamour” and “camping”!) A staycation is a period of vacation when an individual or family stays nearer their home and participates in leisure activities and short-term stays within driving distance. Recently we have witnessed the rise of the staycation so we thought we’d explore the reasons behind this and the benefits of choosing this type of relaxing holiday break.
The Rise of The Staycation
From very early on this trend earned its name and gradually became more and more popular with people who started to see the appeal and it has been steadily increasing ever since.
Between 2008 and 2013 Britons took 16% fewer foreign trips and UK holidays rose by 12%. This summer a survey also found that 6 million Britons declared that they would definitely not be holidaying abroad this year.
It also seems like we’re taking more, shorter, holidays of between one to three days. Again over the period between 2008 and 2013, the number of these increased by 17.3%.
So what’s fuelling this interest in staying at home for our staycation holidays?
The Financial Crash 2008/09
Many believe the trend first began in the years following the financial crash of 2008/9 and the figures certainly seem to demonstrate this.
New numbers of budget-conscious travellers prefer to reduce their travel bills by removing the need to book flights and rental cars. These reductions in transport costs when choosing a staycation seem to tip the balance against an exotic trip overseas.
Better Holiday Choices At Home
In recent years the local hospitality industry has really stepped up a gear offering more choice, higher standards and greater flexibility.
The explosion of potential places to stay created by websites like Airbnb has also had an effect by appealing to holidaymakers looking for more of a “home from home” experiences or alternative bespoke experiences.
Although it sometimes may not feel like it, we’ve also had a run of relatively good summers weather-wise, and when you can get a tan in Cornwall, why bother flying to the Canaries?
In fact, anyone who has flown recently will have noticed that with all the understandable, regulations and security checks there are many more relaxing ways to take a break.
Impact of The Current Health Crisis
In addition to this, the chaos witnessed when tourists were trapped abroad during the health crisis resulted in a lot of bad press for aviation-focused hotel holidays and cruise ship vacations abroad. Now, the question being asked is whether the current health crisis and potential recession will have the same impact as the previous financial crash and lead to staycations rising even more. Watch our short film below, which illustrates this.
Overall Benefits of Choosing A Staycation
Less travel time means less time off work
For some, this is a bonus. For others, it’s not. However, less travel time does mean you can spend more of your time having a restful holiday instead of moving from airport to rental car and back again.
Booking closer to home saves money
When you don’t have to pay for extra baggage fees, airport parking and dog sitting, then it’s very likely you will save quite a bit of money over a foreign flight holiday. You may even be able to use this saving for a long weekend break in between your annual holiday, which is a huge bonus and helps keep the stress levels down even more.
Staycations are less stressful and more restful
Making sure you have your tickets, up-to-date passports and parking sorted can turn out to be quite stressful. Instead, throwing a few bags into the back of the car and driving to a secluded spot to spend a romantic week in a glamping treehouse means the holiday can start immediately. All you need are some great tunes to put on in the car for the short drive there.
Holidays closer to home are very family-friendly
If parents are happy then so are the kids and vica versa. So choosing a holiday that suits everyone means it will be a better family holiday and one to remember for all the right reasons. From experience, we know that less travel time results in a happier family so the amount of time spent in a vehicle is always a top priority for us.
Holidays closer to home are environmentally-friendly
Similar to the above, it goes without saying that less time in an aeroplane results in less CO2 in the atmosphere. We did a quick calculation with the help of Carbon Footprint and share it below. Added to this is the fact that aviation companies are going to be searching for ways to recoup their recent losses, so expect to see their prices increase.
Choices have improved and bespoke options are aplenty
You only have to take a look at the glamping options available to witness how much the home holiday market has improved for customers. No more camping in damp tents with sleeping bags! You can now have comfortable beds in secluded luxury tents and with a view to die for. Why would you choose to do anything else?
What’s your best staycation so far? Share your tips below and you might win a bunch of Inspired Camping postcards to take on your next trip.
If you have a unique accommodation business visit Inspired Courses to learn how to set up a glamping business and improve your marketing.
