You aren’t alone in thinking about a holiday resolution for 2021.
2020 did not bode well for a lot of people’s holidays. Most of us were affected in some way.
Booking.com have produced some interesting analysis on holiday trends as a result of the disruptions caused by Covid-19.
- 95% of people have been spending free time looking for travel inspiration.
- As a result of being stuck indoors, 42% of us want to travel more and experience more.
- With the amount of large events people have been forced to cancel (birthday parties, christenings and so on), 38% of people want to make up for it by going on a special trip.
- As a result of seeing less of friends and family, and wanting to get away from urban environments, 56% of people are looking at rural off-the-beaten-track experiences to “immerse themselves in the outdoors”.
What’s your usual holiday?
Before you start thinking about your dream holiday, take some time to think about your holiday past. Looking at your most recent holidays, what do you usually do?
- Do you take lots of short breaks, or a two-week holiday?
- Do you sit in the sun with a book or wonder around museums?
- Do you travel on your own, or go with friends and family?
- Does your holiday have a focus? Yoga retreat, learning to surf?
- Is your holiday an unplanned mixture of different activities?
- Do you stay in the UK or visit foreign resorts?
- Do you visit safe, familiar places, or adventure into the unknown?
Now think back further. What are the holidays that you most remember? What makes them memorable?
Thinking about your holidays: leading up to them, what are you most excited about? What about them makes the fondest memories? What bits make you come home feeling energised? What bits do you dread? What bits leave you feeling like it’s not worth the effort?
What would be your dream holiday?
When asked about dream holidays it’s easy to get distracted by the detail. At this stage, where you go is not important.
Instead, focus on the feelings. Is it relaxing? Do you get into bed in the evening feeling tired but satisfied from all you have done? Is it an adventure? Is it safe? Have your eyes been opened to new cultures? Do you feel out of your comfort zone?
Filling in the detail
Now you know how your dream holiday feels, it’s time to think about the detail. Focusing on the feeling you want to achieve, use these questions to help you decide what your dream holiday is.
- Are you on your own, in a group with strangers, or with friends and family? Who are you with?
- Is it an active holiday? If so, what are you doing? Are you learning something new? Taking part in a hobby?
- How do you get the wow factor into the holiday? Are their sights that you want to see?
- What new experience are you gaining? Is it a new place, a new culture, a new hobby?
- How fancy is the setting? Are you becoming one with nature or getting pampered in 5-star surroundings?
- What is different with this holiday compared to your usual holidays?
- How far out of your comfort zone are you willing to go?
Once you know your answers, put them into a priority list. You might want to climb a mountain over learning to surf. But if being with friends is the most important thing, you might prefer to learn to surf in Portugal with a friend than climb a mountain on your own. Doing this will help you work out the details of your dream holiday.
Planning a holiday should be fun
Planning your holiday should be fun, but there can be challenges along the way. Trying to get groups of people to agree the same date can be painful. The place you want to stay may be fully booked. The activity you want to do might not be available during the time you can all go. Everyone in the group can have a different opinion that needs managing. Plus holidays can be expensive. Is it worth missing a few nights in the pub to get your dream holiday?
Focus on the feeling you will get from your dream holiday. Is that feeling worth the hard work to make it come true? If so, then a new year’s holiday resolution could be for you. Take the time to write down your resolution, making sure that you make it a ‘SMART’.
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