A staycation is a new word combining the words stay and vacation to describe

Kate:
Hello, I’m Kate Colin and today I’m joined by Jackie Dalton. Hi Jackie. Привет, я Кейт Колин, и сегодня со мной Джэки Долтон. Привет, Джэки. Jackie:
Hi Kate. Привет, Кейт. Kate:
Jackie, I believe you’ve just got back from holiday haven’t you. How was it? Джэки, по-моему ты только что вернулся из отпуска. Как ты его провёл? Jackie:
It was great thank you — I had a very relaxing time. I did lots of reading and some skiing. Спасибо, отлично — отдохнул очень хорошо. Очень много читал и немного катался на лыжах. Kate:
Sounds wonderful, but these days more and more of us are considering whether we can actually justify the cost of a holiday abroad and the idea of going absolutely nowhere is actually becoming quite appealing. A ‘staycation’ is a new phrase which is combination of the expressions ‘stay’ (at home)’ and ‘vacation’. Прекрасно. Но в наши дни всё больше людей задумываются, оправданы ли их расходы на отпуск за границей, и всё больше сторонников у идеи вообще никуда не ездить. Появилось новое выражение ‘staycation’ (= отпуск дома) — комбинация из ‘stay (= оставаться дома)’ и ‘vacation (= отпуск)’. Jackie:
Well, yes I have heard of staycations, but to be honest I can’t say it is something that really appeals to me because I like going on holiday to see other cultures, to listen to new languages and eat different food. Just to get away from my normal day to day life once in a while. I think that’s what holidays are about. Да, я слышал об отпусках дома, но если честно, мне это не очень нравится, потому что я люблю в отпуск посмотреть новые культуры, услышать новые языки и поесть непривычной еды. Просто развеяться на некоторое время от своей нормальной повседневной жизни. Для этого и существуют отпуска. Kate:
Well to some people it is, but before we go any further, I’m going to ask my question for this week. Which country is the top location for British people to go on holiday at the moment?
a) Spain
b) France
c) Turkey Но некоторым эта идея нравится. Однако прежде всего задам еженедельный вопрос. В какую страну больше всего ездят в отпуск британцы в настоящее время?
a) Испания
b) Франция
c) Турция Jackie:
answers Spain Джэки отвечает, что в Испанию. Kate:
Good answer; we’ll check if you’re correct in a few minutes. But first here’s a lady who really likes staycations. Why does she prefer to stay at home? Хороший ответ, через несколько минут проверим, прав ли ты. Но сначала слово даме, которой очень нравится проводить отпуск дома. Почему она предпочитает оставаться дома? Clip 1
If you take your 2 weeks off and just stay at home and do what you like, it’s so much more liberating than going away somewhere new and not having your own things around and having the pressure to explore all this new stuff. It’s just a winner; I don’t understand why more people don’t do it. Если в свой двухнедельный отпуск просто остаёшься дома за любимыми занятиями, чувствуешь себя намного свободней, чем когда едешь куда-то без своих привычных вещей и там  вынужден осваивать новое место. Jackie:
She said that staying at home is much more liberating than going away. If something is ‘liberating’ it makes you feel free and able to do what you like. She goes on to say that going on holiday means that you don’t have your own things around you and there’s lots of pressure to explore. She says that staying at home is a ‘winner’ (which means a very good thing) and she can’t understand why more people don’t do it! Она сказала, что дома чувствуешь себя намного свободнее, чем в отъезде. Если что-то делает тебя свободнее — значит ты не скован, занимаешься чем хочешь. Потом она говорит, что в отъезде под рукой нет своих вещей и приходится усиленно знакомиться с новым местом. Kate:
Now we’re going to hear from someone with the opposite point of view. She uses the phrase ‘contradiction in terms’ which means to say a combination of things which don’t make sense as they often have opposite meanings. She also uses the term ‘same old, same old’ which you often hear when people talk about always doing the same thing. Listen out for it in the following extract… А теперь послушаем другую женщину, которая думает иначе. Она использует выражение «логическая несообразность» — это означает неразумное сочетание вещей, часто с противоположными значениями. Также она говорит слова «всё то же самое«, которые мы часто слышим при разговоре об однообразных занятиях. Прислушайтесь к ним в следующем отрывке… Clip 2
Well to me, holidaying at home is a complete contradiction in terms. When you stay at home you know it’s the same old, same old and it just underpins the whole beauty of having that energizing break and doing something entirely different. Что касается меня, то отпуск дома — это логическая несообразность. Когда остаёшься дома, вокруг тебя всё то же самое, и одно это говорит в пользу перехода к совсем другим занятиям, что даёт прекрасный энергетический заряд. Jackie:
Well, she said that she thinks holidaying at home is a contradiction in terms – it doesn’t make sense. She thinks that taking a holiday is about getting away from your usual routine of being at home which she describes as ‘the same old, same old’. I suppose she’s referring to the everyday jobs of housework and shopping and things like that. She says this underpins the whole beauty of going away. Underpins means to give strength or support to something, so here the fact that there’s always so much to do when you stay at home, supports or underpins her argument that we need to go away on holiday once in a while. Ну, она сказала что проводить отпуск дома — логическая несообразность и не имеет смысла. Она считает, что отпуск для того и берётся, чтобы уйти от обычной домашней рутины, про которую она говорит «всё то же самое«. Думаю, она имеет в виду повседневные заботы по домашнему хозяйству, хождение по магазинам и т.п. По её словам, это говорит в пользу того, что уехать — это прекрасно. «Говорит в пользу» значит придаёт силу и поддержку чему-то, так что в данном случае тот факт, что дома всегда много работы, говорит в пользу её мнения, что периодически надо уезжать в отпуск. Кate:
Let’s go back to the first lady we heard from. Here she gives some other reasons why she prefers not to go away. She uses the term ‘peace of mind’. What does this mean? Давайте вернёмся к первой даме. Вот она высказывает ещё другие доводы, почему предпочитает не уезжать из дому. Она использует выражение «душевное спокойствие«. Что это такое? Jackie:
‘peace of mind’ is when you can relax because you don’t have to worry about anything. «Душевное спокойствие» — это когда вы можете расслабиться, потому что волноваться не о чем. Clip 3
On the rare occasions that I have gone on a proper holiday, the amount of work you have to do to go away and enjoy peace of mind, totally negates the benefit of the holiday to me. В тех редких случаях, когда я ездила в настоящий отпуск, приходилось так много потрудиться для самой поездки и получения «душевного спокойствия» в отпуске, что для меня это сводило на нет пользу от отпуска. Jackie:
She says that all the effort you have to go to make sure you can enjoy peace of mind, negates the benefit of the holiday. I suppose she means that she spends a lot of time making sure her house is locked properly and things to make sure that she won’t have to worry about anything going wrong while she’s away. She says this negates the benefit of a holiday. To negate means to cancel out the effect of something, so all the worry related to going on holiday negates the good things about holidays. Она говорит, что все усилия на поездку с целью получить в ней «душевое спокойствие«, сводят на нет пользу от отпуска. Полагаю, она хочет сказать, что уходит много времени на то, чтобы запереть дом и всё в нём проверить перед уездом и в отпуске ни о чём не беспокоиться. Она говорит, что это сводит на нет пользу от отпуска. То есть это делает отпуск неэффективным, и все беспокойства поездки перевешивают всё хорошее, что есть в отпуске. Кate:
Let’s hear what the second lady has to say in reply…she uses the word ‘anticipation’. What does this mean? Давайте послушаем, что вторая дама говорит в ответ… она использует слово «ожидание, предвкушение«. Что это значит? Jackie:
‘anticipation’ means to look forward to something. You’ll also hear the expression ‘Groundhog Day’. In this context, this is a term which we sometimes use when referring to doing the same thing over and over again. It comes from a film called ‘Groundhog Day’ starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, and the film features a man who finds himself living the same day over and over again. Now the expression has made its way into the English language to describe something which is the same everyday. So if you had a job where it seems you’re doing the same thing day after day, you could say it was like ‘Groundhog Day’. «Предвкушение» значит ожидание с нетерпением. Вы также услышите выражение «День сурка«. В таком контексте мы иногда им пользуемся, чтобы показать постоянное повторение одного и того же. Оно из фильма «День сурка» с Биллом Мюрреем и Энди МакДауэлл в главных ролях. Фильм рассказывает о человеке, который вновь и вновь проживает один и тот же день своей жизни. Теперь это выражение проникло в английский язык, так называют повседневную рутину. Так что если вам кажется, что на работе вы изо дня в день делаете одно и то же, можете сказать, что это похоже на «День сурка«. Clip 4
It’s like anything in life you either approach it positively or negatively. I think part of the beauty of a holiday is the anticipation. I know it’s stressful preparing for a holiday but it’s quite exciting too and I think we need it because when we do the same things day after day, life becomes like Groundhog Day and one of the great beauties underpinning that is to go on holiday. Это похоже на всё в жизни: ты подходишь к этому либо позитивно, либо негативно. Мне кажется, что прелесть отпуска отчасти в его предвкушении. Я знаю, что тяжело готовиться к отпуску, но и очень интересно. Думаю, всё это нам нужно, потому что когда мы изо дня в день делаем одно и то же, жизнь превращается в «День сурка«, и поездка в отпуск — одно из прекрасных средств сохранить прелесть жизни. Kate:
What do you think Jackie? Are you tempted to have a ‘staycation’ next time you want a holiday? Что вы на это скажите, Джэки? Соблазняет это вас остаться дома в следующий отпуск? Jackie:
Well, having heard both sides of the argument, I can understand the reasons for staying at home but I’m afraid I like to travel too much and I don’t think I’ll be taking a staycation this year. Ну, выслушав аргументы обеих сторон, я могу понять причины остаться дома, но боюсь, что слишком люблю путешествовать, и не думаю, что в этом году проведу отпуск дома. Kate:
So let’s have a look the words we came across earlier in the programme: We had:
staycation
liberating
a contradiction in terms
same old, same old
to underpin
peace of mind
negates
anticipation
Groundhog Day Итак, посмотрим слова, которые встретились в этой программе. Это:
отпуск дома
освобождающий
логическая несообразность
всё то же самое
поддерживать
душевное спокойствие
сводить на нет
предвкушение
День сурка Kate:
Finally to the question I asked earlier. I asked you which county is the top European location for British people to go on holiday at the moment. Наконец, вернёмся к вопросу, который я задала в начале. Я спросила, в какую европейскую страну британцы чаще всего ездят в отпуск в настоящее время. Jackie:
…and I said Spain. …и я сказал, что в Испанию. Kate:
I’m afraid you were wrong. You were nearly right, but it is in fact Turkey. Боюсь, ты ошибся. Почти угадал, но на самом деле это Турция. Both:
That’s all for this week. Goodbye! На этой неделе это всё. До свидания!

AMONG THE MANY TRENDS AND CHANGES IN TOURISM TODAY, THERE IS ONE THAT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR AND IMPORTANT: STAYCATION TOURISM. NOW YOU MAY BE ASKING YOURSELF: BUT WHAT IS STAYCATION?  WELL, IF YOU ARE A LOVER OF TOURISM, THE ENVIRONMENT OR IF YOU OWN A TOURISM COMPANY, THIS CONCEPT SHOULD INTEREST YOU. […]

Among the many trends and changes that tourism is undergoing today, there is one that is becoming more and more popular and important: Staycation tourism. Now you may be wondering: but what is Staycation? 

Well, if you are a lover of tourism, the environment or if you own a tourism business, this concept should interest you. Below, we will show you what this type of tourism means and what are the advantages it offers. 

What is Staycation?

Staycation has become a novel and important concept in the tourism market in the last two years. But what is it about or what does this phrase mean? The word staycation is the result of the union of two words: “stay” which means to stay and “vacation” which means vacation. That is, “vacation at home”. 

So, according to this concept, people decide to do regional, local or rural tourism; and they often travel in the same city where they live. This is a new tourism trend and has become popular as a result of the covid-19 crisis. Due to health restrictions during 2020 and 2021, people started to do tourism in their own locality. 

In this sense, locals become tourists in their own environment and visit those tourist attractions that they may have never visited before, although they were nearby and available to them.   

Growth of Staycation

There are certain factors that have influenced the growth of Staycations in the tourism market. Among these factors we can talk about the coronavirus, the high cost of living in the last years and a clearer conscience about contributing to the preservation of the planet. All of this has contributed to bring Staycation back to the market.

By June 2020, in a Bloomberg article, it was reported that specialists agreed that staycationers, generally family and leisure travelers, could help raise the occupancy rate in hotels in the U.S. and Europe. This forecast was quite accurate, since during the last two years after the pandemic, staycationers have been increasing.   

In this sense, according to a report published by HOSTELTUR in August 2022, 20% of the British, being the UK one of the main sending countries for Spain, decided not to go abroad and 16% planned a staycation in order to save more. These decisions were influenced by inflation and an increase in airline tickets.

On the other hand, HOSTELTUR reported that citizens spent 2% more on staycations, including bookings at hotels and other tourist accommodation providers within their own country.

Advantages of staycation

Staycation tourism has its benefits for both travelers and tourism business owners. Here are at least 3 of them:

Sustainability

Since sustainability has been one of the trends in the hotel industry in recent years, Staycations have a lot to contribute in this regard. And the fact is that, being local tourism, people can carry out a more sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism. 

For example, people do not need to use means of transportation such as airplanes, which produce a large proportion of greenhouse gases. 

On the other hand, less polluting means of transportation such as electric trains or electric cars can be used. 

Economy

Economic savings is another of the most obvious advantages of Staycation. And when it comes to this topic, it was the economic crisis of 2008 that gave rise to staycations in much of Europe, where inflation caused travel abroad to be undertaken by a privileged few. 

Now with the crisis left by the pandemic and with the current war between Russia and Ukraine that has led to high costs in energy consumption, Staycations are the perfect alternative to economize and continue sightseeing. 

This is beneficial for local tourism companies who can receive higher revenues due to increased demand.  

Comfort 

Comfort is also an advantage if you Staycation. You will save the stress that often comes from having to pack and organize everything for the trip. In addition, this is in addition to the possible unforeseen events that may occur at the airport, problems with the airline for issues such as flight delays or having to make stopovers, among others.

Conclusion

We can conclude that the Staycation has been reborn and this time it seems to be back to stay, and this is for several reasons: a growing awareness of sustainability among tourists, the current energy crisis in Europe and a growth of local tourism. 

Finally, we want to tell you that if you are thinking of investing in a project related to local or rural tourism you need professional advice to make your project viable. At IHCS we have the experience and professionalism you need. 

Definition

a holiday in which you stay at home and visit places near to where you live, or a holiday in your own country

View the full definition in the Macmillan Dictionary.

Origin and usage

The noun staycation is formed by combining the words ‘stay‘ (or ‘stay-at-home’) and ‘vacation’, making it a portmanteau word or blend. It was first used in the early 2000s.

Examples

The term staycation originated in North America, as is indicated by the ‘vacation’ part of the word. It was originally used to refer to the activity covered by the first half of our definition, meaning a holiday in which you stay at home and enjoy all its comforts while visiting places nearby. In British English it has come to be understood mainly in the meaning in the second half of the definition: a holiday taken in your own country. The use of the term ‘holiday’ is significant. Brits generally refer to time spent not working or studying as a holiday while American English refers to this as a vacation, reserving ‘holiday‘ for a fixed day of celebration when people do not have to go to school or work. In the days before cheap air travel and package holidays the term staycation would have been mostly unnecessary because most people took their holidays at home, with foreign travel reserved for a small minority. Someone who goes on a staycation can be referred to as a staycationer. The traditional term for this was ‘holidaymaker‘. The humorous term ‘daycation‘, which actually antedates staycation by a couple of decades, is what most of us would refer to as a day out or a day trip.

Quotations

“The era of austerity and the staycation saw the British population visiting museums in their droves.”

“With the staycation trend set to continue, businesses are preparing to maintain new customers.”

“The capital city has a lot to offer staycationers this summer with many planning a mini break in Dublin to attend various events.”

Links

You can read Stan Carey’s humorous piece on Vacation Variations here. Kerry Maxwell wrote about staycation  in a Buzzword article back in 2008.

Related words

getaway, minibreak, excursion

Browse related words in the Macmillan Thesaurus.

About the author

Liz Potter