Most people say they love to travel—but what I’ve learned is that they really mean they love vacations. In the general meaning of the term, these two words are often used interchangeably. When you’re requesting PTO at work, you tell your co-workers you’re going on “vacation”. If you asked me five years ago, I would have agreed that these two terms mean essentially the same thing. Yet, after a year spent traveling around the world, I now see these two words with two completely different meanings. Here’s why I don’t think travel and vacation are the same — and why it matters.
Travel vs. vacation
To me, the word “vacation” implies a period of leisure or relaxation. When I think about a vacation, I think about a trip to Florida laying poolside with a fruity drink in-hand. I think about sitting in the pool at an all-inclusive resort with not a care in the world — and nothing on your mind except getting a nice tan and figuring out where you’ll go to dinner.
Renae Ninnerman, founder of Beyond Tourism, describes the concept of vacation well: ” Vacation as any sort of short-term experience that is relaxing, rejuvenating and generally interesting to you. his means different things to different people. A lot of people would consider a “vacation” something like a cruise or a visit to a resort,” she shares.
This definition of vacation aligns with how I see it — a time to relax, recharge, and escape from the world in your own little bubble. I consider my visit to Sandals Grande St. Lucia or The Bungalows at Key Largo as “vacations”. During these trips, I escaped from my normal state of reality and disconnected from the everyday routine with no specific goal in mind and no schedule that needed to be followed.
How travel differs from vacation
In my mind, the pace and intent of travel differs entirely from vacation. For example, I don’t view climbing up the stairs to the Acropolis in 90-degree heat as very relaxing. Walking around Rome and getting over 30,000 steps in a day was also not relaxing. Here is where the difference between vacation and travel really comes to play. Unlike vacation, travel is about curiosity, exploration, and cultural immersion.
“In this way, travel becomes less about escaping life and more about enriching it. Vacations restore energy; travel expands perspective,” says Tatiana Morfin, PR & Communications Manager for El Dorado Seaside Suites. Ninnerman also agrees, sharing that travel has a more intentional focus. Travel can be focused on heritage research or learning about a new culture.
Travel often has a more specific goal attached to it. For example, planning a trip to Morocco to explore the souks or visiting Rome to see and explore the Colosseum. These types of trips involve thinking, exploring, and learning in a way that a vacation does not. Travel often includes cultural immersion too, where you interact with locals, try street food, and learn about the way of life in a new place. Activities like attending a local cooking class or going on a street food tour may not be relaxing but they are focused on exploration.
Travel vs. vacation: Is one better?
I’m a big believer that there’s “no one size fits all” approach when it comes to booking a trip. As a lover of both “vacation-style” and “travel-style” trips, it’s not about choosing which one is better but rather, choosing the type of trip you’re in the mood for. If you ask me, there’s a time and a place for both types of trips. A trip to an all-inclusive resort in Turks & Caicos sounds like a relaxing, beautiful time if you are in desperate need of a tech detox and some Vitamin D. At the same time, traveling to the see the pyramids in Egypt in real life sounds eye-opening and educational.
Many experts also believe many destinations make it possible to include both travel and vacation in the same trip. For example, consider a trip to Greece, for example. Some days of your trip could include visiting important historical landmarks and museums which mimics more of a “travel-style” trip. On the other hand, you could then hop over to Mykonos to spend your days soaking up the sun and drinking Freddo espressos and your nights partying at a local beach club.
“A trip can include both things, says Steve Schwab, CEO of Casago. “Maybe you’re visiting a tropical island, and some days you spend lounging on the beach while other days you spend going all around the island to sight-see and immerse yourself,” he shares. In instances like these, you can set the tone to do a trip that includes both slower-paced, relaxing days and fast-paced exploration days. At the end of the day, there’s realy no right or wrong answer. It comes down to your vision of the perfect getaway.
