A couple of decades ago, nothing was more fashionable than jumping on a plane and flying across the ocean. Beach holidays were the “thing” to do, and little else was considered.
Well, times are changing. Some might suggest that various political changes are fueling this, but being honest the writing has been on the wall about jetting off on a plane for some time. Fewer people are doing it, and this has caused a rise in staycations.
If we hone in on the stats even more, these staycations are appealing more and more to families. Through today’s piece, we will take a look at some of the reasons why this is happening.
The art of the long weekend
As we all know, annual leave comes at a premium for some workers. This will of course depend where you work, both in terms of the country and the company who employees you.
Regardless, we like to save our days off, and most typical package deals abroad don’t allow for this. They will immediately subscribe us to a week or two-week vacation, and in no time at all half of our annual leave has evaporated.
The alternative? Book odd days at a hotel in Newcastle at your destination of choice. When you are traveling as a family, just cutting back by a day or so can make a monumental difference to your total spend. This is something that is just difficult to do abroad though.
The school holiday conundrum
As we all know, travel and school holidays do not go hand in hand. Flights go through the roof – but this plays straight into the hands of a staycation.
Sure, some accommodation might be priced a little higher, but as you are making your own way there you can at least save money through that element. It goes without saying that the cost of driving to a destination in your own country, versus jumping on a so-called budget flight, is going to be significantly lower when you take into account everyone’s ticket price.
The “whole” family can travel
There are all sorts of statistics about families being comprised of 2.4 kids, but this can also span into pets. In short, pets are part of the family, and this is something that a lot of families will argue to the hilt.
Whether it is for financial or moral reasons, a lot of families simply can’t bear the thought of putting their furry friend in kennels as they venture away.
Suffice to say, when you are staying on home soil, they can come with you.
The exchange rate factor
This final point might breach politics in some way, but few would disagree that exchange rates are something else that have risen ridiculously high over the last few years.
Well, we don’t need to make much more of a case here. While you can be getting less for your money abroad, the same philosophy doesn’t apply on home soil. For families at least, where at least a few members are traveling, this is something else that can keep your costs down substantially.
