Freshman Campbell Alch landed in Mexico but never left the resort she was staying in. Still, she marked it down on her list as one of the countries she has visited. Brooke Kalmanson doesn’t think so. Kalmanson is a sophomore who travels outside of the country frequently, inculding a trip to Uganda during spring break.
“You don’t get to explore anything if you just stay at a resort, you’re staying in one place, so you have a very one-sided view of where you are,” Kalmanson said. “You can’t see different perspectives of the different cities to fully understand where you are.”
However, not everyone shares Kalmanson’s view about being able to see the country by staying at a resort for the duration of the trip.
“I think they could [say they’ve been to the new country] because in the resort there are a lot of different experiences than it would be from a US resort like the culture,” Alch said. “If you left the resort, I would understand how your trip was a little more but I’d still say you could experience it from staying in a resort because even driving from the airport is an experience in itself because you are seeing new things.”
Like staying on a resort, traveling on a cruise ship also restricts a person’s experience of a new country. In many instances, most people who take cruises don’t explore farther than the ports or the local beach.
“You can’t really see what’s in a country by stopping in a port,” Kalmanson said. “You can’t see anything of the local country. You have to be there for at least two days to really see the country and see some of the sites and talk to at least a few locals to get the full experience of being in a new environment.”
Cost is a deciding factor for many vacationers. Depending on the country and the local cost of food, it can be more cost effective to stay at an all inclusive place instead of going out to eat at restaurants every night.
Depending what country people are in and the prices of food can increase. Picky eaters also tend to find more comfort in resort food rather than trying new cuisines.
When travelers are visiting a new country, there can be new aspects such as food and traditions that come as a culture shock. Certain countries also have diseases such as dengue and malaria that make people hesitant of exploring in fear of contracting new viruses.
According to Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) the demand for all-inclusive resorts is increasing, with all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic averaging an occupancy recovery of 77% in March 2022. Marriott and Hyatt along with others are creating more all inclusive resorts as instead of their normal traditional style hotels due to an increase in consumer demand.
On the other hand, staying at a resort allows for a relaxing trip because food and activities are often included.
“It’s more relaxing if you’re just sitting at the pool and resting, which sometimes is necessary since life is pretty stressful,” Kalmanson said.
Along with easy access to food and activities, transportation is also provided by the resort.
“The pros for the resort is that you don’t need a car, so you can walk places or they have golf carts, which is nice and makes it easy to transport around the resort,” Alch said.
However this should not stop people from traveling and exploring a new country. Going out and exploring a new country is a way that you are able to see the raw culture and experience the local cuisine.
“I like trying all the food, shopping and just seeing the different sites and learning about new places,” Kalmanson said. “Learning about other places also helps you learn more about your own country as well, because you can see something that you only saw from one perspective in a different and new way.”
