Holidays, the perfect chance to shoot abroad, explore a new city, soak up the culture, walk miles and miles... or not.
Yup – according to new research from from leading travel app Expedia, more and more of us are looking to do, well, absolutely nothing on holiday.
One in four (26%) Brits reported feeling in need of a “nothing-cation” – a holiday completely dedicated to recharging their batteries and leaving their day-to-day stresses behind while doing nothing.
The research also shows that more than half (54%) of us connect doing nothing on a holiday with relaxation (we can get onboard with this).
The constant pressures of portraying the ‘perfect’ life to family, friends, and work colleagues while on holiday can be a strain for many. According to the results, over half (61%) of Brits feel the pressure to book excursions or activities they don’t actually want to do during their time off to show their social media followers that they did more than simply sit by the pool.
And while half of travellers (50%) admitting to feeling refreshed at the end of a holiday where they have done little, it turns out 15% of us actually end up feeling guilty for putting our feet up and relaxing, with 20% of travellers having felt the pressure to be constantly productive and busy.
A spokesperson for Expedia said: “We lead such busy lives that sometimes we just want to sit back, relax and do nothing on a beach during our holidays.
“However, even with time set aside to unwind, it can be hard to shake feelings of guilt for taking time to fully rest and recharge on our travels. We would encourage holidaying Brits to use their well-earned breaks to recharge their batteries, without worrying about what their friends, family, and social following might think when they return after their ‘nothing-cation.’”