Over half the population (55) did not take a two-week vacation last year: they either took a short break (13) or stayed home for their holidays (42). A similarly high proportion of short breaks and no trips at all is expected for 1986. In a new representative survey conducted by the BAT Leisure Research Institute, 2,000 German citizens aged 14 and over were asked under what conditions they would find it easier to decide to spend their vacation at home.
For nearly half the population (47%), an easily accessible local recreation area remains essential for a staycation. However, in 1981, when the BAT Institute last posed this question, 51% (%) were in favor. In contrast, expectations for inner-city leisure activities have increased over the last five years.

One in three people would like a leisure pool.

One in three Germans would find it easier to stay home if there were a leisure pool nearby – a „combined outdoor and indoor pool with sauna and solarium“ (1981: 27 %).
An attractive leisure pool nearby makes it easier to forgo a holiday trip and creates a new kind of vacation: the "city break." It's no coincidence that almost two-thirds of Hamburg residents (60 %) are calling for a leisure pool, because new pools have only been built in the surrounding area, not in the city itself. For residents of Bavaria, a popular holiday destination, this is no longer an issue. Nearly one in four respondents in Bavaria (24 %) would like a leisure pool nearby. What's obviously already there doesn't need further wishing.

Growing demands on leisure activities

In the event that they have to forgo their holiday trip, German citizens also expect a more attractive range of leisure activities in other areas:

• 21 % want „sports opportunities for everyone“ (1981: 16 %). This means sports facilities where everyone can participate in sports without being forced to become a member of a club.
• 22 students (%) expressed a desire for a "local leisure center for the whole family" (1981: 20 %). The leisure center should offer a place where people can pursue their interests and hobbies with friends, alone, or with family at any time. An additional 10 students (%) were also interested in "special holiday courses" (1981: 9 %) where they could engage in creative activities or further their education.
• 19 of the respondents expect "cultural offerings" such as music events or open-air theater (1981: 14). And 18 would like to participate in special "holiday events" in their place of residence and the surrounding area.

The new type of city tourist – a challenge for local politics?

„The new type of urban tourist presents a challenge for municipal leisure and tourism policies,“ says Prof. Dr. Horst W. Opaschowski, scientific director of the BAT Leisure Research Institute. „The number of people vacationing at home will continue to grow in the future. This will pose a new challenge for cities and municipalities.“ Those who previously vacationed at home typically found themselves in an urban environment primarily geared towards the needs of working people. Many facilities remained closed during the holiday season. Large cities and metropolitan areas, in particular, will need to focus more on the experiential value of staycations and cater to this new type of urban tourist.