People are channelling their vengeance into vacations, and we get it

“Revenge” typically has a negative connotation. It’s not a word you’d normally associate with a vacation—let alone your first vacation in two or more years. But revenge travel is purely positive. It describes the joyful feeling of going abroad for a change of scenery, rather than putting up a specific destination for vengeance. It’s a buzzword that came from a collective impatience and eagerness to go on vacation. It’s a revenge against the pandemic, and all that time we had to sit at home wondering when we can go out again. And it’s catching on.

Experts are attributing the rise of revenge travel to working-from-home policies. As the pandemic slowed, many companies began shifting to hybrid working situations, and some permanently changed to being fully remote. Plus, “working from home” doesn’t necessarily mean working from home. It could mean renting out an Airbnb in Taiwan, or booking a hotel in Phuket to work with a change of scenery.

It’s already beginning. According to travel booking website Expedia, 37 percent of surveyees are looking into both domestic and international travels next year, with Rome, Paris, and London being among the top-searched destinations. Forty percent are also willing to treat themselves and spend more on their next vacation, whether by indulging in luxurious hotel stays, extending their stays, or visiting more destinations on their bucket lists.

Which makes sense—for many of us, the two-ish years of having to stay at home meant more time to save money. And now, we are ready to splurge it on that plane ticket upgrade, fancy restaurant set course, or any once-in-a-lifetime experience we dreamed of. In fact, many countries closed during the pandemic are already welcoming back tourists, including some of the nations with the most restrictive COVID regulations.

So if you’re feeling like it, book a ticket to Australia, see the sights in Vietnam, or get a packaged tour in Japan (more information here) because now that we can get out and about, what’s really stopping you?