In this five-part travel trends series, The Sandton Times explores the various holidays or vacations travelers are opting for as a result of the pandemic, like the Staycation.

• After months under lock and key, mixed with stress, anxiety, and eventual cabin fever, people are ready to get out of the house.
• There are 5 trending holidays or vacations people are taking: the Workcation, the Vaccication, the Spacation, the Staycation, and the Retalication.
• Be sure to check in every day this week for 2022 travel trends.
  
• Visit www.sandtontimes.co.za/fly for the best flight deals.

As the world moves into 2022 with international borders opening up and vaccinations on the rise, it’s clear that travel has changed significantly and that the new reality of going on a trip, for business or pleasure, involves a massive focus on hygiene and cleanliness, vaccination passports, ever-changing restrictions but maintaining that undying desire to explore a new place.

Today it’s the turn of the ‘Staycation’. Once the word of choice for those who hadn’t made any plans for the annual holidays, this fusion of the words ‘stay’ and ‘vacation’ dominated the easing of lockdown months as people just needed to get out of the house, even if it was only for a night or three, to get a change of scenery and to not have to cook a meal for a change.

Having started off as a down-the-road holiday, distances increased as local restrictions eased and travelers could, for the most, finally explore South Africa for a change, as destinations like Paris, London, or Dubai remained closed. Closer to home, the ‘Staycation’ is a mini-vacation that is long enough to feel like a break but close enough to not have to do all too much planning.

It’s also a great opportunity to look at a hometown from a different angle and do some day excursions or play a round of golf. And with the popularity of a ‘Staycation’ exploding over the past few months, more and more properties have become super creative with bundling dinners, spa treatments, shuttles, and extra nights into some really attractive deals.

With international travelers disappearing overnight, many local hotels have had to reassess that business and international tour group revenue, and replace it with local leisure guests, with peak days made up of Thursdays to Sundays. To meet local appetites and budgets, suddenly some often unattainable hotels have opened their doors to offer even the most unseasoned traveler a slice of a luxury holiday.

Some might say: ‘so what’s the point of staying down the road?’ Well, for those without big families or without kids, it might seem a bit of a strange alternative to just sleeping at home, but for those in-demand 24/7, a little escape from the house with a sleep-in, breakfast in bed, and a chance to catch up on some Netflix, it could be a slice of sanity and heaven in an often manic schedule. It need not be an over-the-top stay – even the simplest of luxuries could make it a stay to relax and recharge.

For some a much-needed escape and for others, a novel way of traveling without having to stamp a passport or fill out documents in triplicate, this vacation is here to stay for quite a while and is bound to see a reinvention in 2022.

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