Nearcations

It has always struck me as odd that the MSM can be surprised by what the general public will get up too, particularly when it makes common sense...
Telegraph.

Hard up British holidaymakers have sparked a new travel trend for getting away from it all - just not too far away from it all, an industry study shows.
Analysts have nicknamed it 'the nearcation' because it usually involves a destination within a couple of hours drive from home.
It could be a traditional romantic getaway for couples or parents to urbanites escaping the city for a couple of days to an overnight trip to the seaside with the family.
Soaring petrol prices and rail fares mean long trips to resorts within the UK, the so called 'staycation', are too expensive for many families on a budget, said market analysts Mintel.
Instead, the staycation has simply evolved into the nearcation as a way for families or couples to get away from it all for a couple of days without having to travel too far.

Clearly a case of see a trend, invent a word. Yet what they probably don't realise is the sheer wealth of things to see within an hour or two of your home. Take as an example, I live near Chatham, not the most scenic town in the UK, but within a few minutes of me I have a dockside museum, a Napoleonic era fort, miles and miles of country walks, river estuaries, castles, cathedrals, the home of Dickens and that's just off the top of my head. There are a lot more things to see within an hour of me too and I suspect that it's the same for everyone, we look to far off places and ignore (until economic reality kicks in) the treasures close to home. There is an absolute wealth of history and beauty around us just waiting to be explored and it's worth taking a look at.
I don't blame people for wanting to see far off places or even head for the sun, but that shouldn't blind us to what's right in front of our eyes. Perhaps the economic downturn will be a bit of a blessing in certain respects after all.