Staycations have recently become a new trend in travel. The word ‘Staycation’ is a combination of ‘vacation’ and ‘stay’, meaning staying home or enjoying local activities. Unlike traditional vacation types involving tight schedules or long-distance travel, more and more people are willing to spend relaxed vacation time. ‘Hocance’, a combination of ‘hotel’ and ‘vacance’, is a typical example of a staycation. ‘Vacance’ is French for vacation. Especially during COVID-19, people avoid contacting others, so hocance gained attention as a way to spend vacations safely. Recently, it continues to grow in demand. According to the 2019 statistics of Job Korea and Yanolja, hotel amenities accounted for 12% of the most important factors in choosing hotel rooms. Amenities are no more a small part of the hotel selection factor. Hotels also put a lot of effort into establishing their brand image by using amenities.
Under the Ministry of Environment’s regulation of disposable products, accommodations with more than 50 rooms should not provide free disposable amenities starting next year. If they violate the ban on disposable products three times, they must pay a penalty of up to 3 million won. As a result, hotels and resorts will offer amenities in large multi-use containers. Consumers expressed concerns about hygiene and quarantine issues. In contrast, some consumers welcomed ESG (Environmental, Social, and Government) structures to solve environmental problems.
Walkerhill Hotels & Resorts announced its ambition to strengthen ESG management and turn it into an eco-friendly hotel at the call of the Ministry of Environment’s policy. Lotte Hotel Busan does not offer disposable amenities in the rooms but only provides them to customers who request them. So, many hotels in Korea are devoting their efforts to convince consumers and switch their systems naturally. It is a critical time in which hotels should care about both consumer preferences and environmental impacts.
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