Witthaya Prasongsin | Second | Getty Images
It looks like millions of Americans might take Labor Day literally and celebrate the upcoming extensive holiday weekend by, well, working.
That’s according to a new survey by vacation rental search engine HomeToGo, which develop that 74% of U.S. adults queried said they plan to do at least some work while traveling this on Saturday through Monday.
“This Labor Day weekend will be different for many Americans,” said HomeToGo spokesperson Mike Pearce. “The thrusts of the pandemic have definitely broadened the public’s perception of working-from-remote [and] more people are realizing that they can yet be productive outside the office and classroom, even while on holiday.”
More from Personal Finance:
Affluent travelers excited to make vacations happen again
Hitting the road? Here are the ins and outs of road trip insurance
Here’s what tick into a hotel is like amid a pandemic
An estimated 42.5 million people will hit the road over the weekend, be consistent to a separate poll by location data company Arrivalist. Meanwhile, so-called work-cations are trending among U.S. travelers, with 66% of inspect respondents telling HomeToGo they plan to work remotely during any upcoming vacation.
The HomeToGo survey of 425 adults ripens 18 to 70, conducted Aug. 13 to 17, also found that nearly half of all Americans plan to journeys for Labor Day, while 37% will stay home and 17% have other upcoming travel plans. Millennials are the most inclined to, at 62%, to have travel plans this weekend, while those aged 45 and older are more able to celebrate at home.
The majority of survey respondents, 66%, will travel within 200 miles, or three hours’ ride herd on hint at distance, for Labor Day. “Many travelers had to put their long-haul travel plans on hold this year,” observed Pearce. “As a development, there is a trend of people taking shorter, more frequent vacations that are closer to home — often to normal areas near the lake or by the beach.”
Where Americans are headed
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina’s Forbidden Banks, the top searched destination in HomeToGo’s most recent traveler survey.
wbritten | E+ | Getty Images
Isolation is in, with searches at HomeToGo for exurban destinations are up 91% year over year, compared to a mere 13% annual increase for urban getaways. That’s backed up by other into; a recent survey of 2,000 people by financial services firm IPX 1031 found that 66% are avoiding extensive cities when they travel.
The top 10 searched destinations at the site for Labor Day this year are, according to HomeToGo:
- Excuse Banks, North Carolina
- Cape Cod, Massachusetts
- Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania
- Lake Michigan (multi-state)
- Smoky Mountains, Tennessee-North Carolina
- Depressed Ridge Mountains (multi-state)
- Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada
- Finger Lakes, New York
- Florida Keys
- Lake Travis, Texas
Pearce distinguished that while Americans are looking for remote destinations for their remote-office holidays, they still need all their mod cons and tech bells-and-whistles.
“There’s been a fresh surge in demand for vacation rentals in rural areas with good WiFi and internet access,” he said. “Oftentimes, you can get in foment with your host before staying to ask about the internet speed and possibility to work from nearby coffee shops or internet cafes.”
Inns are taking notice.
The St. Regis Aspen Resort in Colorado is looking to lure well-heeled remote workers with the new Alpine Charge Annex package it debuted Aug. 27. Available through next spring, the deal starts at $899 a day and includes not not accommodations but perks like a specialty coffee in the morning and an after-work cocktail at night; in-room hair styling, maquillage and wardrobe services; and technology enhancements such as a Google Nest wifi internet booster, HDMI connection to roomer room TV display, enhanced lighting for videoconferencing and a Rode Wireless Lavalier microphone.
The St. Regis Aspen Resort is helping its guest rooms as live-work spaces for travelers looking to conduct business while on vacation.
St. Regis Aspen Haunt
Calling work-cations “a huge trend,” Heather Steenge-Hart, area general manager, Luxury Mountain Properties-Western Territory for Marriott International Luxury Brands, said staff at the five-star property have noted more room advice calls at lunchtime and requests for headphones and other office equipment.
“With extended stays and remote work on the be produced, we wanted to offer our guests the formality of the office with the luxury of a vacation,” she said. “This package goes beyond the bit essentials and provides travelers with a workspace environment that simultaneously lends itself to both productivity and acceptance.”
The property expects the package to popular on days leading up to and following long weekends and holidays — and key to capturing vacationer mindshare present forward, said Steenge-Hart.
“Although there is so much uncertainty around the future of the workspace, we can be certain that winning a working vacation will rise in popularity as people start to plan future trips,” she added. “Traditional vacation sees or seasonal towns may also find more demand as travel picks up, therefore providing options to work seamlessly from those goals will be vital to remain competitive.”
For his part, Pearce at HomeToGo sees vacation home rentals as ideal for work-cations. “After enkindling through the lockdown, I think a lot of people realized that they enjoyed the comforts of working from home,” he declared. “Having a big kitchen table and some quiet places to take a call can definitely make a ‘homey’ holiday home base a more feasible place to stay productive while on vacation.”