A staycation (a portmanteau of "stay" and "vacation") is a recreational break spent at home or within a day trip distance of it, requiring no overnight accommodation.
Common activities of a staycation include the use of a home swimming pool, visits to local and , and attendance at local and . Some staycationers also like to follow a set of rules, such as setting a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine, with the goal of creating the feel of a traditional vacation.
Staycations achieved popularity in the U.S. during the Great Recession of the late 2000s.
Etymology
The word
staycation is a
portmanteau of
stay (meaning stay-at-home) and
vacation.
The term
daycation is also sometimes used.
Merriam-Webster cites the earliest use in the 18 July 1944 Cincinnati Enquirer.
The term was used by Canadian comedian
Brent Butt in the television show
Corner Gas, in the episode "Mail Fraud", which first aired 24 October 2005. The word became widely used in the United States during 2008, when gas prices reached record highs, leading many people to cut back on expenses including travel.
The term was added to the 2009 version of Merriam-Webster's
Collegiate Dictionary.
However, Lake Superior State University added the word to its 2009 List of Banished Words. The citation noted that
vacation is not synonymous with
travel, and thus a separate term is not necessary to describe a vacation during which one stays at home.
[ "Lake Superior State University 2009 List of Banished Words" 1 January 2009]
Benefits
Staycations are likely to be less costly than a vacation involving distant traveling. There may be no lodging costs, and travel expenses may be minimal. Costs may include
transportation for local trips,
dining, and local attractions.
According to the American Automobile Association, "the average North American vacation will cost $244 per day for two people for lodging and meals" and "Add some kids and airfare, and a 10-day vacation could top $8,000."
Staycations are likely to avoid some of the stress associated with travel, such as jet lag, packing, long drives, or waits at .
Staycations may also be of economic benefit to some local businesses, who get customers only from the area providing them with business. In 2008, the tourism bureaus of many U.S. cities also began promoting staycations for their residents to help replace the tourism dollars lost from a drop in out-of-town visitors.
Risks
Staycationers may spend money they had not planned as retailers and other advertisers offer "deals".
Staycationers can also finish a stay-at-home vacation feeling unsatisfied if they allow themselves to fall into their daily monotony and include household projects, errands, and other tasks in their vacation at home or near home.
See also
