While their trips may be shorter, travelers make the most of their time away, especially by embracing new experiences outdoors.
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Enterprise’s Annual Weekend Getaway Survey found that more people are reporting a stronger desire to get out of the office in 2019 than last year — and most of them sum up the reason in one word: stress.
Respondents claim they are more stressed now than this time last year, and all that pressure makes them want to get away more on the weekends. Three in four say they not only plan to get away in 2019, they hope to take five trips in the coming year, two more than getaway-takers reported taking in 2018.
And getting away doesn’t necessarily mean traveling to a far-away destination. Most people — 85% — agree that planning a short trip is less stressful than planning a big vacation. According to the survey results, 55% of travelers plan to stay within 200 miles of home. And they’re keeping it simple; the second most common weekend excursion will be a trip to a family member’s or friend’s house.
In addition, while the most expensive getaways are less likely this year, those who took a getaway in 2018 and plan to do it again in 2019 will either spend as much (58%) or more (33%) on their 2019 trips.
Compared with last year, the number of people who said that leaving their cellphones at home turns the getaway into an escape doubled, and 87% of respondents believe turning off alerts on their devices (email, social media, news) is a best practice when it comes to truly getting away.
The survey also found that taking a low-stress weekend getaway can greatly improve travelers’ moods. Of the respondents planning to take a winter getaway this year, more than half agree their mood suffers in winter and 82% say a getaway helps them escape the cold weather blues. Nearly all respondents report that weekend getaways leave them recharged, relaxed and grateful.
While their trips may be shorter, travelers make the most of their time away, especially by embracing new experiences outdoors. The survey found that:
- 58% of respondents believe that having a brand-new experience and/or doing an activity they’ve never done before is what makes a weekend getaway an escape.
- 48% of 2019 weekend getaway-takers plan to explore outdoor destinations, while only 16% will travel to a major city, down from 24% last year.
“We’re seeing travelers increasingly want to take simple, low-stress vacations that allow them to unwind and leave their worries at home,” Steve Short, vice president at Enterprise, said in a statement. “This year, our survey revealed that rather than taking longer, elaborate vacations, more respondents would rather take a weekend getaway. And they’re not only staying closer to home – they’re also opting to completely disconnect and turn their weekend getaway into an escape from the stress of their jobs and other responsibilities.”