The New Travel Lexicon: What is a Vaxication?
There are many words associated with this era that we would sooner rather erase permanently from memory. Social distancing, quarantine, lockdown, Zoom. Recently, though, a bright spot in the pandemic lexicon has emerged: the post-vaccine vacation, also known as the vaxication. As immunizations continue to rise in the states, so too is a sense of optimism that 2021 may be the year to finally put that dusty passport to use.
“Vaxication planning started popping up by the end of January and by mid-February, 71% of all long-haul bookings for travel beyond a three-month window were made by clients who received—or had an appointment for—their first vaccine shot,” says Deborah Gellis, a travel advisor at luxury trips specialist Embark Beyond. By March, the company was seeing a 225% increase in bookings as compared to the same month two years ago.
"Once they get that second shot, it’s like a switch flips in their brains," says veteran travel expert Wendy Perrin. "Suddenly it feels like the world is open for them again.”
vax·i·ca·tion \ˌvak-sə-ˈkā-shən\ noun : the first trip planned after one is fully vaccinated.
So—where is everyone going?
That first trip post-vaccine inevitably carries sentimental value. “One of the biggest drivers is reconnecting with people they have not been able to see, whether it’s children and grandchildren, or friends and other couples,” Gellis says. “It's less about where you go but who you go with.”
Reunion trips are trending, especially for places most conducive to ultimate relaxation—by the beach in the Caribbean, for instance. At the Mandarin Oriental, Canouan on St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the vaccine rollout has coincided with an increase in large group reservations for its villas (the resort has 13). "The requests are coming in daily," says general manager Duarte Correia. "Our guests want to reunite with loved ones they have only been able to connect with by phone or on Zoom for more than a year." For this reason, yacht rentals are also hot, providing a safe space for everyone to gather.
"I think most people still aren't back to the type of trip where you're sightseeing, visiting historical monuments, driving from place to place," Perrin says. "They're looking to be with family, stay in one spot, and just try to relax and catch a break. It's more of a vacation than travel."
On the other hand, bucket list destinations are big for later in the year—Paris for Thanksgiving, Morocco by Christmastime, South African safari for New Year's. (While the latter two countries have technically been open for quite some time, being immunized affords greater peace of mind.)
Europe, though, remains the holy grail. Last year, when the continent closed its borders, Americans were pleasantly surprised to discover the many merits of their own backyard. They flocked to national parks; they bought out luxury lodgings like Amangiri’s Camp Sarika, located right in the middle of the Grand Circle, or the many ranches out west; they rented tricked out RVs for cross-country road trips. “I joke that I have more clients that have seen Luang Prabang than have seen the Grand Canyon,” Embark Beyond founder Jack Ezon told T&C last fall.
And now? "People are done with the national park and ranch thing,” he says. Being locked out of Europe for so long has left travelers are feeling “claustrophobic” and in want of a broader "culture-meets-the-sea" experience. “The shutting down of St. Barts [in February] was the last straw,” Gellis says. “For many it was the closest they got to Europe.”
Europe is certainly more of a possibility in 2021 than it was just a few months ago. Turkey, Croatia, Iceland, and Greece are open to Americans, and bookings have consequently soared. Bodrum, for example, is expecting to be at full capacity by this summer. And while France and Italy remain closed (and in lockdown—again), there is hope that they will open up soon. "We have a ton of people trying to plan Italy for the fall," Perrin says. "It might be a little too optimistic, but who knows?"
And therein lies the catch. While we would all love nothing more than to book a flight to Nice as soon as that second shot is administered, inoculation is just one of many factors to consider before going on that first vaxication.
That's not to say there isn't any fun to be had. Along with a spike in vaxication interest is the return of celebrations, from destination weddings and birthdays, to parties just because—call them "vax-givings," if you will. “In the past two weeks we've been asked to plan two parties just to celebrate everyone being vaccinated,” says event planner Marcy Blum.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, whoever it is you're with, there is one uniting factor: that first vaxication will be a blowout affair. “There is no question the average spend is way up. It could be because people have so much more savings or the market has been insanely profitable," Gellis says. “Or, they are just so done with being home and want to come back big time.”
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