Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, being locked in homes was quite frustrating and highly depressive for some. When the situation settled down a bit, the first that everyone planned was travel which is now commonly known as revenge travel. Since many countries still had travel restrictions for foreigners, therefore the most viable option left was to travel within one’s own country and thus the local tourism in many countries saw a sudden boom with an unexpected number of locals visiting.
The year 2021 has been the year for revenge travel in local areas. In every country, people are exploring their hometowns, the best tourist spots in the mountains, forests, and sea-sides. Surprisingly, despite serious Covid-19 restrictions, the cities and such tourist sites with natural beauty are bursting with people as local travel has been the only option left for the people.
The craze for the road trips
As air travel has also been restricted, people are preferring road trips. Although the airfares have been drastically reduced for local travels, the road trips are still being opted for. There has been unprecedented traffic on the roads towards mountainous areas or the hill stations, for instance.
Besides, road trips are a cheaper source of bringing the whole family together and enjoying the journey, as they say.
The scenic landscapes and natural beauty
The northern areas of India, Pakistan, and China have remained in the spotlight in the past few months. India’s Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Gokarna, Leh, and Ladakh have seen a large number of local tourists.
Similarly, in Pakistan’s north where Gilgit-Baltistan is situated, beautiful places like Skardu, Naran, Kaghan, and Hunza have been jammed packed with the locals. These places are known for magical valleys, waterfalls, scenic landscapes, and the world-famous mountain ranges of the Himalayas and the Karakoram towards the giant peaks of K-2 and the Nanga Parbat.
Also, China’s north or the upper region is traditionally known as Huabei which consists of the provinces of Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Hebei, and Inner Mongolia. These are world-famous tourist places with natural landscapes, snow-covered mountain peaks, frozen valleys, and centuries-old architecture and historical sites. These areas have also been visited by the locals like never before.
The ‘second honeymoon trips
People, mostly couples, have been terming their revenge travels as the second honeymoon. Excited and happy couples are seen to be trending on Instagram for reliving the honeymoon experience, locally. The hotels and the guesthouses at the tourist places with natural landscapes, away from the city life, are majorly booked by couples.
In this regard, the countries with less restrictive rules for travelers, like Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Iran, Spain, Serbia, etc., have seen a sudden increase in international travelers, especially couples.
Exploring the unexplored
Many people have planned their revenge travel to places that were previously not much explored. Thanks to social media and the appealing pictures of the landscapes in the travel diaries, a lot of unexplored places have gained popularity. For instance, the Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan, the peaceful and historical city of Isfahan, Iran, The Hidden Beach in Mexico, the Kamchatka in Russia, the Italian city of Matera, the city of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, etc.
These places have seen a lot of visitors recently including local as well as international tourists, unlike the traditionally visited places. Many got to know about these through social media which resulted in much more tourism at these places.
A boost to the local tourism industries
The revenge travel has boosted local tourism to an unprecedented level. It has helped the Covid-hit economies to slightly recover from the crisis. The local tourism industries in the South Asian countries have gained a lot of traction and the governments are now trying to further enhance the facilities for the tourists.
Traveling has become quite easy and fun with the facilities provided everywhere for the tourists. Even in remote deserts, islands, and stranded beaches, the tourists are guided and taken care of with all basic facilities required for a safe and comfortable stay. That is also one of the many reasons for revenge traveling and exploration of unexplored or less visited places. So, where do you plan to go for the next trip?
