Staycation, Workation, Drivecation; Popular Trends That Ruled the Domestic Travel Industry Amidst the Pandemic –
An increasing number of working professionals get stuck in the rut of daily routine; they forget everything around them except for the schedule and getting through the day. The mental and physical stress of dealing with the constant competition of being a participant in the rat race of life, career, and family can be truly draining and demoralising. The only healthy solution that is effective and doesn’t cause any side effects is taking a break. A vacation!
Vacation has become a vital part of modern life. While it does not always have to be centred around travel, it is the best form of leisure. Getting yourself physically out of the place that is burning you out, to somewhere you desire to be, can do wonders to your state of being. But what do you do when you need a break during a full-blown pandemic? Well, you have a different sort of vacation.
Necessity drives innovation. Given how vacations are crucial to lead a healthy life, corporate workers and avid travellers have found a workaround to enjoy a vacation while incorporating the stressors of a pandemic. Staycation, Workation, and Drivecation are the most effective ways to ensure that you genuinely relax while never missing a beat in your normal schedule.
Staycation
This type of vacation can be taken from your residence, a hotel room, a farmhouse, etc. The idea is to make your stay at any place a relaxing holiday. With COVID-19 resulting in several layoffs, pay cuts, etc., especially with people working from home (for longer hours than expected), a staycation is a breath of fresh air. People, in general, were okay with the first couple of months of lockdown. They saw advantages, a new experience, more interactions with the family, more quality time, savings, etc. But all of these quickly wore off as the lockdown period prolonged, and people were edging for a change or even the old norm. A staycation intends to give you a breather. Travel to a different place of residence or pamper yourself with the comforts of a hotel room. The choices are endless!
Workation
According to HR Technologist, a workation is a vacation that allows you to work remotely while integrating elements of leisure that let you unwind, relax and be more productive. For people who had to commute for hours to get to a 9-5 job where they have to remain confined within four walls, workation is a dream come true with scheduled breaks. Imagine working in an open field, where there are no distractions except for the sensory recharges that nature can provide. With the WFH situation that became the norm as a consequence of the pandemic, companies have realised that they don’t need a rigid corporate office to ensure that their employees work. With apps like MS Teams, Slack, Basecamp, Asana, Zoom, Whereby, etc., and a stable internet connection, employees can be productive effectively. Also with the rapid expansion of JIO to even the most remote corners, travellers now have access to the internet almost everywhere, significantly expanding their workation choices. Workations can even be a great place to know about different industries and companies from different people whom you travel with and make great friends/acquaintances. So, take full advantage of the WFH situation, and unwind in a cosy workation spot for a few days/weeks/months to ensure productivity with an equal balance of R&R.
Drivecation
Some people were pushed to the point of claustrophobia during the lockdown and yearned for open roads. They wished to travel in such a way that they felt the road beneath them as they traverse beautiful landscapes and enjoyed different cuisines. Drivecation is truly the way for you to remind yourself that the world is a prominent place and there are far too many things to admire, rather than gape at your computer or mobile screens. You just need a car, camper van or caravan to drive in and out of your favourite city to enjoy a well-deserved break from your hectic schedule.
Cascading Advantages of These Types of Vacations
- COVID-19 severely impacted the travel and the hotel industry. These vacations provide them with a chance to more than just survive.
- The increase in revenue for the travel and travel-support industries from the influx of tourists go a long way to revamp the entire sector.
- Travellers who get sick of the city choose remote areas as destinations for their workation. This promotes the outlying areas, and the hotels/cafes/motels there also develop and start installing stable broadband connections to benefit the workationers. For example, villages like Kalgha & Tabo and cafe Ghoomakad near Dharamkot have done the same.
- These types of vacations have also inspired a new kind of productive work culture. Leveraging the advantages of the internet, and the stable mindset that workation provides, an increasing number of companies are exploring if workation can be made permanent. It saves companies infrastructure costs, improves the mental stability of the employees, and increases productivity.
Whether it’s staycation/workstation/drivecation, choose one that resonates with your desires and your idea of a break. More importantly, these new trends give you the option of genuinely recharging while keeping you relaxed. There are some great places that feel like they are almost designed to be the best vacation spots:
Staycation: Coorg, Lonavala, Dharamshala or Gangtok.
Workation: Goa or Shimla
Drivecation: Kanyakumari, Kochi, Pondicherry, Kochi, Gokarna, Darjeeling, Leh, Ladakh or Spiti Valley.
The above places have become increasingly popular among modern & millennial tourists. Besides travelling by motor vehicles, people can hop on trains to reach such destinations. Trains, nowadays, have everything that a modern traveller needs, complete with a charger socket and light (especially for AC coaches) for every seat. The coaches now also have 4G penetration even in remote areas and train stations with WiFi connectivity. Indian Railways even plan to onboard WiFi facilities inside trains in the coming years.
Everyone deserves a break. Recreation is crucial to maintain the perfect work-life balance and guarantee consistent productivity. A Staycation/Workation/Drivecation ensures that you are primed to handle daily life stressors effectively and safely during an ongoing pandemic.
This Guest Column has been written by Mr. Dinesh Kumar Kotha, Co-Founder and CEO, Confirmtkt.
