New research from travel app Expedia reveals the holiday season has prompted many Black travelers to plan a “nothing-cation”. The term is used to describe a trip where warm weather and relaxation are the main attractions. According to the survey, over half of the Black travelers who participated (53%) are feeling burnt out. The holiday frenzy has left them in need of some R&R.
Expedia says that of 4,000 US travelers surveyed, more than a third (34%) report experiencing holiday burnout. Nearly everyone surveyed shared that they plan to spend their next vacay bumming around.
In fact, 96% of US travelers plan to spend a portion of their next trip doing absolutely nothing. The over-scheduled holiday season has travelers planning “nothing-cations” where relaxation is the main attraction.
“There’s a time and place for an action-packed vacation itinerary, but our data shows the first trip after the hectic holiday season calls for a more relaxed agenda,” says Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group brands public relations.
“For most travelers, getting the most out of their next vacation means setting aside dedicated time for nothing. One trick to avoid unnecessary stress while planning a nothing-cation is to bundle flights, hotel and car rental on the Expedia app, which not only saves you time but more than 10% off the price on average.”
Nothing-Cation: When Nothing Is Really Something
This sort of travel, a “nothing-cation”, is growing increasingly popular with tourists, and they aren’t feeling bad about it. A “nothing-cation” is characterized as a trip when leisure and pleasant weather are the major features.
Expedia’s internal data confirms January is one of the top months for researching and booking beach vacations. Beach getaways are a favorite trip type for ‘nothing-cationers’. On average, about a quarter of getaways planned during the first month of the year is to beach destinations. Hotspots including Cancun, Punta Cana, and Oahu are already seeing double-digit increases in demand compared to 2019.
Expedia’s travel experts propose Kauai in Hawaii, Costa Rica, Fiji, Nevis Island in the Caribbean, Koh Samui in Thailand, the Algarve region in Portugal, and Sanibel Island in Florida as the perfect “nothing-cation” destinations.
According to Expedia’s research, nearly half (47%) of travelers say they like to start the new year with a trip on the calendar to look forward to, as a remedy for feeling anxious (31%) or tired of cold and rainy weather (34%) in January. Furthermore, most (62%) agree that “doing nothing” is their favorite part of the vacation and consider it time well-spent (61%).
People Are Returning To International Travel
Parents of young children (four years old and under) are particularly in need of a nothing-cation. They report higher levels of post-holiday burnout than average (49% compared to 34%). For them, a successful nothing-cation consists of watching movies in bed, reading, and ordering room service rather than dining out.
As Expedia reported in December, data from the 2023 Traveler Value Index showed that the desire to travel internationally is on the rise. Almost half of the consumers are likely to book or have booked an international trip for the next 12 months. This number is up from about 30% in December 2021. Millennials are even more likely to travel internationally, with 60% saying they are planning a trip or have already booked one.
While top travel destinations for 2021 were almost all within travelers’ own regions, data from Q3 2022 shows that international destinations are making a strong return. International travel is likely to continue to ramp up in 2023, as consumers continue to be more confident in going farther out.
Related: What Is ‘Revenge Travel’ And Why Is It Currently Surging?
