‘ Staycations’ popularity on the rise

“STAYCATIONS” were the trend over the New Year holiday, statistics show. The word refers to a holiday spent at home or nearby. According to Oxford English Dictionary, its use in 2020 grew by almost 400 percent.

In particular, young people vacationed at hotels near their homes, especially luxury hotels, to beat the travel itch, following restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As holiday hotel demand exceeded supply, room rates saw year- on-year increases of 23 percent in three-star hotels, 21 percent in four-star hotels and 17 percent in five-star hotels, according to Trip.com.

Travel review website Mafengwo found that over the holiday, per-customer transaction at hotels were 32 percent higher than the same period last year.

Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou had the most overnight stays, according to Trip.com.

Data from Alibaba’s travel agency Fliggy show hotel bookings in people’s home cities and nearby increased more than 50 percent over last year.

One reason behind the booming hotel staycation phenomenon, according to global hospitality giant Hilton, is hotels themselves are becoming great holiday escapes.

More than just a place for accommodations, hotels are also offering shopping and entertainment. Hilton is collaborating with toymaker Hasbro to hold a variety of themed activities centered around its popular My Little Pony, Transformers, and Monopoly toys and games.