Staycation: Escaping To One Destination With Many Temptations

The longings for a long weekend, endless pondering about trips and the debates over budget constraints; everything seems now a thing from the past. A new travel trend known as Staycation has surfaced courtesy of the remote working culture born out of pandemic. Having spent so much time at home during the last few months, the urge to break the monotony is more than ever. Consequently, even the ardent travellers are adopting the new normal in travel, which asks people to travel to the safe holidays’ options close to their home.

Why do you need a staycation?

The change of scenery brings a change of mood and mindset. When we have a new setting to explore, we often tend to find a new inspiration. If you want to shed the layers of boredom and stop binge-watching Netflix and munching on calories, all you need is a staycation. It can be an excuse for your favourite beach stay, a minibreak or a few days at a wildlife Park for some pause and relax.

Here are some reasons that will gear you up for this new trend;

No-hassles: Planning a trip could be stressful, from finding a great hotel in the budget to preparing the itinerary for the coming days. At the same time, a staycation is like an instant plan for a long drive that doesn’t need you to think much. Since you are already aware of the places surrounding your city, it would only take one good scroll on Google to book the hotel and hit the road.

Notice the unnoticed.

You might have boarded that metro train every day from home to office without ever knowing much about the stations in between. A staycation would stop the mindless roaming through the familiar streets as there will be no rush to cover more and more sights before the trip ends. Instead, you will have immersive experiences while rediscovering your city or country.

Try things you wouldn’t have otherwise.

With less time in hands, we wouldn’t want to spend our holidays doing things that we imagine are dull or boring. Hence, we often skip visiting places such as historical monuments and museums. A staycation could be an unanticipated revelation for many when they try something different than their regular self would.

Promote local businesses.

A trip to an exotic location doesn’t come across as a very sensible idea when the economy of most of the countries is in slumber and consumers are refraining from any unnecessary expenditure. A staycation may not be what you are expecting, but it would certainly be affordable. Find yourself in trying new flavours of your city in unique restaurants or visit a local farm for fresh fruits. And in doing all these activities, promote the local economy.

With the changing dynamics of work culture, people want to spend their time off work creatively. The concept of Staycation has brought back the thrill of spontaneity that comes with sudden plans. For Mrs Mary David (in early 60’s), the founder of Rosa Mystica India Garhwal, a retail brand based in Dehradun, ‘staycation’ is a trend that her generation would definitely endorse. “ I have a business to take care of on top of my health. Hence, I am all for a vacation that lets me relax without worrying too much about safety and hygiene.”

“I barely stayed a week in a year in my hometown that is only a 6 hours drive from my office in Gurgaon. But with some ease in lockdown, the only place that felt safe to travel was home. Every weekend is now an opportunity for me to roam in and around Dehradun”, says Shradhha, Content Manager, ByteDance.

Karan, a Digital Marketing associate and an avid traveller, believes that travel will bounce back in no time. Always on the lookout for an opportunity to travel, for Karan, the last few months have only made his desire to travel again stronger.

Travel is essential for productivity and as well as for self-growth. However, the fear for the health of family and friends is still the most significant impediment when it comes to searching for safe places to visit after lockdown for a vacation. There is no denying that the situation is grave and demands us to be highly responsible, but we also have to overcome the mental block that we are not safe anywhere other than our homes, and a Staycation could be the first step in that direction when it comes to travel in Covid times.