Should my next holiday be a staycation?

**SPEAKER_1** (0:01)
Lululemon's airy, fast-drying tennis gear keeps you cool when the court gets hot. Breathing out as you breathe in. Wicking away distractions with every reach, every return. Drying as fast as you volley. So even after match point, you'll feel like you want to do it all again.
Shop tennis gear in stores and online at lululemon.com.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:23)
This is a Bose moment. You've been there, small talks going nowhere, but then the Bose speaker kicks in.
Music you can feel fills the room, and no more chat with Jenny from accounts. Your life deserves music. Your music deserves Bose. Find your perfect product at bose.com.

**Bababam** (0:45)
Should my next holiday be a staycation?
Thanks for asking.
Going on holiday is cool, but not always within reach for everyone. It requires being able to take time off work and money.
Large families and those struggling to make ends meet may see holidays as a luxury they can't always afford. In recent years a new kind of holiday has been catching on, the staycation.
It generally refers to a local trip which doesn't require any overnight accommodation. The idea comes from the United States and really took off following the financial crisis from 2007 onwards. Middle class Americans no longer had the means to go on holiday, so they got creative. The idea then spread to Europe, and more specifically the UK, in 2009 when currency exchange rates became unfavourable. Isn't that kind of the opposite of a holiday? One way to look at it is from a pro-con perspective, but let's breeze past the obvious points. Price differences and ease of travel don't really get to the heart of the issue. The main reason we go on holiday is to get out of our daily routine and experience new things. You might struggle to find that novelty if you stay at home. However, finding new things locally isn't impossible and might not even be hard. You'd be surprised how many marvels of nature and heritage you can find without going to the other side of the world. Some common staycation activities include visiting local museums, attending music festivals, using a backyard swimming pool or going to an amusement park. Some people broaden the staycation definition to refer to any domestic tourism within their country of residence. Done right, you're still reducing your carbon footprint compared to flying overseas and making the train is generally a greener option than driving. Is it really possible to relax while surrounded by reminders of work and stress? People adopt an out of sight, out of mind attitude when on holiday. I mean, it's hard to remember work when you're sipping cocktails in Hawaii. You can't really say the same about a staycation, as you'll always be somewhere familiar. Our brains relate actions to our environment, and changing that environment is essential to changing our behaviour. But those changes don't have to be drastic. Rearranging your furniture can be enough to take you away from your regular routine. With enough effort and the right mindset, a staycation can be just as relaxing. Why not disconnect completely by putting your smartphone and laptop aside for the week? How has the staycation concept evolved in the last few years?
When COVID came along, tourism collapsed all around the world. All of a sudden, people were locked in houses and locked out of their free time. It was frustrating for those used to having at least one trip away every year. Things improved a little in 2021, and everybody wanted to make up for lost time, leading to the emergence of revenge tourism. Even so, staycation was the fastest growing holiday related search term in 2021, according to statista.com. And it showed no signs of slowing down this year. If you put in enough effort and treat it like an actual holiday, a staycation can offer the same benefits and rest.
There you have it.
Now you know whether your next holiday should be a staycation. In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know it for sure.

**SPEAKER_2** (4:18)
Bababam!