Year-end holidays are often used to travel out of town or visit distant family.
However, the outbreak of the new variant of the COVID-19 Omicron has made people rethink their plans.
This is according to the results of a Populix survey of respondents who had planned a year-end trip. The intended time for trips was the fourth week of December 2021 with a holiday period of three to seven days.
In the results, almost half of the respondents, around 48 percent, choose not to travel or take year-end holidays because they are still worried about the spread of COVID-19.
The majority of these respondents are Generation Z and Millennials who live in big cities.
“Most Indonesians think it is necessary to reconsider year-end holidays considering the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended yet,” said Populix Chief Executive Officer Timothy Astandu in a written statement, Thursday 23rd December 2021.
On the other hand, 33 percent of respondents felt ready to go on their year-end holiday trip and another 19 percent couldn’t decide whether they would go on vacation or not.
As many as 22 percent of respondents who will travel for year-end holidays have considered the number of people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and are encouraged by the policy of implementing health protocols by the government.
Populix’s Chief Operating Officer Ellen Kamtawijoyo also explained that most Indonesians have realized the importance of vaccinating before going on vacation.
They are also aware of following health protocols to minimize the rate of transmission of COVID-19 during the Christmas and New Year periods.
Furthermore, Populix’s research results show that respondents who decide not to go on year-end trips out of town prefer to spend Christmas and New Year’s holidays doing activities at home.
Some of the activities they were planning include holding a year-end party at home or worshipping activities with family.
Some respondents also admitted that they would spend their vacation time traveling around the city, going on culinary tours, and taking staycations in the city.