Running out of travel cash? Try ‘staycation’

If there is something the financial crisis and the ongoing eurozone debt crisis has brought to the fore in the travel industry it is “staycation.”

A strange word as it may be, it has gained popularity in the past three years as people have opted to save on costs of travelling by staying at home or visiting neighbourhood relaxation sites.

“Staycation,” also spelled as stay-cation or stacation, is a newly-coined word that is becoming acceptable.

It is when individuals or a family opt to stay at home and relax.

Austerity measures

The financial constraints due to the global credit crisis led to austerity measures that saw people cut their vacation budgets, with others opting to stay at home.

In a poll carried out by Blue Chip Vacations, a company in the UK, more than half of the people asked said they would ditch their overseas holidays in 2010.

About two thirds said they would choose to holiday in the UK instead.

A ‘staycation’ is similar to domestic tourism as you get to know the nooks and grooves of your surroundings.

This can mean a visit to the local shopping centre, a walk around the neighbourhood, or unravelling the mysteries of the world from the comfort of one’s living room couch.

If you live in Nairobi, why not enjoy the local shopping malls, museums, Nairobi National Park or even facilities like Uhuru Park.

At the coast, a day out on the beach or the hotels or But a ‘staycation,’ however, can see one end bored and just idling around if not well-planned can turn out to be boring .

If your office is in the house or live near the house you could end up returning to work.

Falling into the day-to-day monotony and even doing household chores and tasks is not a vacation but a normal day spent in the house.

Sit and plan for the weekend or even day like one would plan a holiday out of town.

Have a clear strategy of what is to be done and “no go zones”.

But most of all, remember it is about taking a break from day-to-day activities.