Tourists are looking forward to a lockdown-free frenzy as holidays are again a possibility – and many are going all out with "revenge" travel breaks.
The novel term, sounding like an idea in a holiday bestseller, refers to thumbing the nose at Covid-19 and splashing out on a luxury break.
Instead of a short-haul flight, get ready for jet lag and cross-continental flights. Instead of budget hotels, notch it up a star or a few.
Holiday companies identified the trend last year and it is expected to continue well into 2022.
InterContinental Hotel Group, which owns Holiday Inn among other brands, returned to profit last year, pinning some of the success on revenge travel.
Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson, IHG’s chief financial officer and group head of strategy, said 2022 was set to be a historic year with big trips to make up for lost time.
He predicted “long and high levels” of demand from holidaymakers and said the mood from his customers was: “We’ve missed out on this so we’re coming back hard.”
Mr Edgecliffe-Johnson urged travellers to book early.
Revenge travel refers back to 2020, when holiday bookings were cancelled as the coronavirus spread around the globe, ushering in a new world of lockdown and social distancing.
Part of it is also the urge to make up for the lost time after the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Another form of holiday enjoying an increase is the multi-generation getaway, in which extended families go on trips together.
“It has the benefit of giving the grandparents space to get some peace and quiet away from the little ones, but means no one will sneak their beach towel on to the best sun lounger before breakfast,” an Original Travel representative said.
”There are few foreign forays as fun as taking a beautiful private property and filling it with family of different generations.”
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
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Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
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