After Sept. 11, 2001, a pall was cast over the nation, and people wanted to “cocoon” also known as “nesting” in their homes. The term was popularized in the 1990s by marketing consultant Faith Popcorn in her book The Popcorn Report: The Future of Your Company, Your World, Your Life. Popcorn suggested that cocooning could be broken down into three different types: the socialized cocoon, in which one retreats to the privacy of one’s home; the armored cocoon, in which one establishes a barrier to protect oneself from external threats; and the wandering cocoon, in which one travels with a technological barrier that serves to insulate one from the environment. “People are doing more at home,” she says, “they are multitasking with entertainment, food, theater, and work.” When all of our hearts started beating again, cocooning was morphing into the next logical step, which some people call “hiving.” That was in the late 1990’s and early 2000. Flash forward!
Today still, many are opting to vacation at home, creating secret getaways in their backyard, where generations of families can participate using hi tech grilling gadgets, becoming outdoor chefs “extraordinaire,” riding their 0 degree turn mowers and investing in pricey floral specimens to bring in the “exotics,” all within the vicinity of their homes. No airports, no security, and no threat of becoming a pawn in todays geopolitical turmoil. The word is “staycation”!
Staycation is a vacation taken at home or within comfortable driving distance. This could mean anything from a long weekend at the house to a few nights at a local hotel. One thing is abundantly clear: many staycationers are choosing to relax close to and or at home, whether in their hi-tech hot tubs from BullFrogSpas to their outdoor MHP Outdoor Grills, Summerset Grillin kitchens that any executive chef would approve, to the latest, an uuni wood fired pizza oven for the patio.
Folks are still vacationing, but for the budget conscious, local adventures and spending for the home are fast becoming a way of life.
Google data shows that, since 2010, “staycation” has enjoyed a 58% rise in search frequency—and is forecasted to keep climbing in the future with consistent peaks in summer months.
Note of interest, people rather than taking one large trip during the summer, the same amount of time “away” can be enjoyed as periodic mini-vacations sprinkled throughout the year. In fact, a prominent demographic that’s leading the market in quick trips is the millennial generation, or those age 18 to 34.
On average, millennials take 3.1 staycations per year in addition to a more traditional vacation. And more than any other generation, 55% are also taking overnight trips instead of traveling outside of their region.
A recent survey revealed that 34% of millennials plan to take more staycations this year. All told, the top three reasons they decided to staycation were:
- To enjoy a hassle-free vacation experience
- To spend more quality time with loved ones
- And, to save money
Millennial families are planning to spend an average of more than $6,000 total on vacations this year—or 19% more than last year—this demographic is a great example of what a local hospitality and outdoor litestyle industries can expect into the indefinite future.
Given the surging trend to staycation, from coccooning (aka nesting) and its increase in popularity, there are three things your to be sure of in today’s environment:
- People are thinking LOCAL.
- People are thinking LONG-TERM.
- People are thinking QUALITY.
Quality products for the outdoor lifestyle. Visit the showroom at Long Pond Hearth and Home!
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