Travel fever is back, and it’s contagious. After years of being kept home during the COVID-19 pandemic, people are once again eager to explore the world. Rather than just book any trip, travelers are getting smarter about how they scratch that travel itch.
Microcation
Defined as four days or fewer and over 160km away from home, the microcation perfectly matches the post-pandemic mindset. After long periods of remaining indoors, people are making up for lost time by taking short, frequent getaways throughout the year.
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These brief trips avoid the work-life imbalance that comes with long absences. With only a few days away, one’s tasks and emails don’t pile up, and responsibilities remain manageable.
The budget-friendly aspect also adds to their appeal. The brief nature of microcations makes them ideal for nearby regional travel. Travelers can avoid the huge cost of long-distance air journeys while still enjoying the excitement of being somewhere new.
Dupe Travel
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As restrictions eased and people began traveling again after the pandemic, flights, hotels, dining and related activities all became significantly more expensive. This sharp price increase naturally drove people toward more economical options.
Dupe travel brings the concept of finding affordable alternatives, or “dupes,” to the travel planning process. Instead of flocking to expensive, overcrowded tourist attractions, travelers deliberately seek out lesser-known regions that provide similar cultural and scenic experiences at lower costs.
Millennial and Gen Z travelers—those born between 1981 and the early 2010s—have particularly taken to this trend. They trust social media for suggestions, and they find appealing places that traditional travel guides might have overlooked.
Photo: AdobeStock I 照片：AdobeStock
旅行熱潮捲土重來、極具感染力。經歷了新冠疫情期間困在家多年的生活後，人們再次渴望探索世界。遊客並非只是隨意訂下一趟旅行，而是更精明地解旅行的渴。
微旅行
微旅行的定義是四天或四天以下且離家超過一百六十公里，這完美切合了疫情後人們的心態。在長時間待在家的生活過後，人們透過一整年中頻繁的短期度假來彌補失去的時光。
這些短暫之旅可避免長時間缺席帶來的工作與生活的失衡。離開工作崗位只有短短幾天，任務和郵件就不會堆積如山，分內的工作仍在可應付的範圍內。
經濟實惠的面向也增添了它們的吸引力。微旅行具有短時間的特性，因而很適合到周邊地區旅遊。遊客可以避免長途飛行的高額花費，同時仍能享受置身於新地點的興奮感。
平替旅遊
隨著疫情後的限制措施鬆綁，人們重新開始旅行，航班、住宿、用餐及相關活動都變貴許多。這樣急遽上漲的價格自然促使人們轉向更經濟實惠的選擇。
平替旅遊將尋找平價替代方案的概念（或稱之為dupe）應用到旅遊規劃的流程中。遊客不會湧入昂貴又過分擁擠的旅遊景點，而是刻意尋找花費更低又提供類似文化與風景體驗、較不知名的地區。
千禧世代和 Z 世代遊客（出生於 1981 年至 2010 年代初的人）尤其喜愛這股潮流。他們信賴社群媒體上的推薦，並找到傳統旅遊指南可能忽略的好去處。
Words in Use
1. fever n. 熱潮
The song created a brief wave of pop fever, but it didn’t last long.
這首歌曾掀起一股短暫的流行熱潮，但沒有持續很久。
2. define vt. 給……下定義
be defined as... 被定義為……
The word “friendship” can be defined as a strong bond between people.
「友誼」這一詞可以被定義為人與人之間牢固的關係。
3. imbalance n. 不平衡
The trade imbalance between the two countries created tension.
這兩國之間的貿易不平衡造成關係緊張。
4. manageable a.
能應付的；易處理的
The mountain trail is long but manageable for most hikers.
這條登山步道雖長，但對大多數健行者來說還能負荷。
5. budget-friendly a. 經濟實惠的
budget n. 預算
Tina chose a budget-friendly cellphone that still had great features.
蒂娜選擇了一款平價但功能不錯的手機。
Practical Phrases
1. be eager to V 渴望（做）……
After the long flight, the travelers were eager to relax at the comfortable hotel.
經過長時間飛行，那些旅客渴望在舒適的飯店裡放鬆。
2. make up for. . . 彌補……
To make up for his past failures, Billy focused more on his work.
為了彌補過去的失敗，比利更加專注在工作上。
3. pile up 堆積∕累積起來
The dirty clothes in the basket quickly began to pile up after only two days.
才過了兩天，籃子裡的髒衣服很快就開始堆積起來。
4. add to. . . 增添……
The flowers in the vase add to the cozy feeling of the coffee shop.
花瓶裡的鮮花增添了這間咖啡館的舒適感。
5. flock to + 地方 湧入某地
Tourists always flock to the peaceful seaside town in summer.
遊客總是在夏天湧向這座寧靜的海邊小鎮。
What Did You Learn?
Dupe Travel, the trend of finding options that people can __1__, helps them save money by avoiding travel to expensive spots. Trying to reduce costs requires people to make __2__ choices to find overlooked regions that offer similar experiences.
參考答案 :
1. afford
2. deliberate
To be continued tomorrow（明日待續）
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本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
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