New research from Expedia® reveals the over-scheduled holiday season has prompted many Americans to plan a "nothing-cation," a trip where warm weather and relaxation are the main attractions. According to a survey of 4,000 U.S. travelers conducted during December, more than a third (34%) report feeling burned out from the holidays, and nearly everyone surveyed (96%) plans to spend a portion of their next trip doing absolutely nothing.

Expedia internal data confirms January is one of the top months for researching and booking beach vacations, which is a favorite trip type for nothing-cationers. On average, about a quarter of getaways planned during the first month of the year are to beach destinations, and many hotspots including Cancun, Riviera Maya, Punta Cana and Oahu are already seeing double-digit increases in demand compared to the same time in 2019.

"There's a time and place for an action-packed vacation itinerary, but our data shows the first trip after the hectic holiday season calls for a more relaxed agenda," says Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group brands public relations.

When nothing is really something:

According to Expedia's research, nearly half (47%) of travelers say they like to start off the new year with a trip on the calendar to look forward to, as a remedy for feeling anxious (31%) or tired of cold and rainy weather (34%) in January. Furthermore, most (62%) agree that "doing nothing" is their favorite part of vacation and consider it time well-spent (61%).

Parents of young children (4 years old and under) are particularly in need of a nothing-cation, reporting higher levels of post-holiday burnout than average (49% compared to 34%). For them, a successful nothing-cation consists of watching movies in bed, reading and ordering room-service rather than dining out.