College Students Opting for Staycations

By KELLY BRENNAN AND RACHEL ARCHIBEQUE

As spring break approaches, many college students are ready to say goodbye to Canvas and hello to the beach while others are more interested in staying in the dorms and taking the week off for some R&R.

Colleges – what are they doing this year?

• In 2020, the world was on lockdown and nobody got the opportunity to go away for spring break. Last year, spring break was canceled for many colleges across the country in an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
• Now, spring break is back in full swing with the opportunity to travel and go to a warm and exciting destination with your friends. 

Traditional Spring Break

• A traditional spring break that we all picture is the group of college kids down in Florida drinking, going to the beach, and overall having a good break from work and school. 
• Some common options for spring break amongst college students include going down the shore, traveling out of state, or staying with a group of friends at an Airbnb.
• The New York Times reports that, “the industry is seeing a strong desire among travelers to take big bucket list trips this year.” 

Why It Matters Now

• Many people are opting for “stay-cations” for protection of their health, cost concerns, and practical reasons like work.
• Travel Binger writes, “there’s nothing like going on a far-flung trip, but some people don’t have that opportunity. Many young folk can’t afford travel, and older professionals are tied to a 9-to-5 work week with limited vacation time (yes, even with remote working). That said, they still want an “escape.””
• Colleges are also cutting down their students’ breaks and changing calendars due to COVID-19. Inside Higher Ed reports that colleges like, “Yale University is delaying the start of the semester by a week, going online for a few weeks and cutting its spring break in March from two weeks to one.”  

What People Are Saying

• NPR reports about some student like Hannah. “Hannah Varkey counts herself among the lucky students who do get a spring break, one she is very much looking forward to. She’s a senior studying cognitive science at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and she plans to stay on campus for the week. “I’ll definitely go for walks, catch up on sleep, catch up doing all my homework,” she says. She’s hoping she might even have time to read a little poetry.” 
• We interviewed a local New Jersey student from Ramapo College who told us about his cancelled spring break plans. Paolo Miyashiro told us how he plans to spend his staycation:

              Miyashiro discussing spring break plans.

By The Numbers

• Retail Wire reports why people are opting for staycations: “According to a 2016 survey from AYTM Market Research, the primary reason to head on a staycation was to save money, cited by 67 percent of respondents; followed by not having time for a full vacation, 33 percent; wanting to explore their own community, 25 percent; and looking to support local businesses, 13 percent.” 
• On the other side of the spectrum, The New York Times reports that, “The World Travel & Tourism Council (W.T.T.C.), which represents the global travel and tourism industry, projects that travel and tourism in the United States will reach prepandemic levels in 2022, contributing nearly $2 trillion to the U.S. economy.” 

The Big Picture

• “Staycations are not new, and WalletHub has been ranking the best staycation cities for the past few years. So, why are staycations trending now? Sure, Covid-19 happened, and people have been going more local for vacations to avoid flights and crowds, but there’s a real reason staycations are hot.“Mini-vacations” or “micro-vacations” have been rising in travel, where travelers go on very short trips over a weekend. Now, because many great hotels, restaurants, tours, and attractions are opening in their very city, they don’t have to go far… and they can save on airfare or car rentals,” says Travel Binger. 

Go Deeper

• College’s are starting to lift restrictions on spring break for students and while they are allowed to leave campus and travel, many residents are becoming more comfortable with the idea of “Staycations” and do not feel as pressured to go somewhere, compared to previous years.