revenge travel
Revenge travel is a big trip, often a splurge, taken to make up for time when you couldn’t travel. The term took off as COVID-19 restrictions lifted and people rushed to take the vacations the pandemic had canceled.
What revenge travel means
The revenge is aimed at the pandemic, mostly as a joke. After two years of canceled trips and lockdowns, people didn’t just travel, they went big: longer stays, farther destinations, nicer hotels. Dictionary.com notes that it’s also tied to people spending money they’d saved while stuck at home.
Now it’s used more loosely for any trip that makes up for a long stretch without one.
Examples
- “We’re doing three weeks in Japan. Full revenge travel.”
- “Flights are expensive, but revenge travel doesn’t care.”
- “Two years of working nonstop. This is my revenge travel.”
Where it came from
According to Dictionary.com, the term grew as COVID-19 restrictions eased in 2021 and 2022, when leisure travel and especially air travel jumped. It’s thought to have been promoted by the travel industry and popularized by news coverage of the boom. It belongs to the same family as revenge shopping and revenge bedtime procrastination.
Related terms
- Revenge shopping: a post-lockdown spending spree.
- Revenge bedtime procrastination: staying up late to reclaim free time.
- Soft life: choosing comfort and ease.
- Glamping: camping with comforts.
More money and lifestyle words are in our work and money slang guide.
Example sentence
After two years at home, they booked a month in Italy. Pure revenge travel.
Notes
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