Should I stay or should I go?

Angela Bennett and her children drove to Virginia last summer for a two-week visit with family, a relatively long but inexpensive trip befitting a staycation-minded season.

But when dad Rick returns at the end of June from a yearlong contract working with the military in Baghdad, the Bellevue family is pulling out all the stops, with a weeklong visit to Disney World as part of a 23-day vacation that will take them, by car, to Washington, D.C., and various stops to visit friends along the way.

It won't be cheap — the Bennetts have budgeted up to $5,000 — but the family looks at the weeks-long odyssey as a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“We decided before he even left we're going to celebrate with Disney World when he comes back,” Angela Bennett said. “It will be a great summer. I'm OK with spending that money.”

The Bennetts have a compelling reason to celebrate, but they're not alone in upsizing their vacation this year.

Although most people took a traditional summer hiatus in 2009, many stayed home or close to home. Spending a lot of money on gas or airline tickets, hotels, restaurants and entertainment wasn't something a recession-minded country felt comfortable doing.

According to a recent survey by nationwide accounting firm Deloitte, 59 percent of the approximately 1,000 respondents said they planned to take a trip between June 1 and Labor Day.

That figure is about the same as last year, but the survey also showed that 26 percent planned to spend more money on summer trips than last year. Seventeen percent expected to take a longer break than last year.

“We continue to see an uptick in leisure travel as consumer confidence in the economy and job security strengthens,” said Adam Weissenberg, vice chairman and leader of the tourism-hospitality-leisure sector for Deloitte.

Jennifer Gaines, an editor with travel website Travelocity, said the “staycation” trend more accurately should be called “nocation.”

People weren't going to settle for that forever, she said.

“Let's face it, you can't pull the wool over the kids' eyes every year into thinking that dinner at Taco Bell is like a visit to Mexico,” she said.

The fact that people plan to spend more this summer is a certain indication that staycations are losing their luster, Gaines said.

Dora Bitsos, general manager at Travel Leaders, an Omaha travel agency, said she has seen a noticeable increase in interest in international travel.

“I think there's a little more of a comfort level as far as the economy goes, compared to last year,” she said.

People also are more interested in “a la carte” trips, in which they choose their destinations, do what they want and stay as long as they want in each place, rather than planned tours, she said.

That could reflect a conscious decision to treat themselves after a year or more of sacrifice.

Still, others think that the lower-budget, quick-hit trips of the staycation variety will remain popular because of their simplicity.

Roger Kuhn, assistant director of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, said attendance at the state's parks and campgrounds, figured by permit sales, increased 8 percent in 2009 over 2008, with total revenue going from $4.1 million to $4.4 million.

Through April of this year, permit sales were up about 12 percent, Kuhn said. Memorial Day weekend, based on initial revenue figures from the major state parks, saw a 40 percent increase in park attendance.

The staycation trend definitely was a factor, Kuhn said, but it wasn't the only one. Weather and gas prices also figure into people's decisions to vacation close to home. Vehicles commonly used by parkgoers — boats, recreation vehicles, campers and trucks — use a lot of fuel, he noted.

Gas prices spiked and then were unpredictable in 2008, Kuhn said.

Greg Wagner, a spokesman for the parks department, said many of last season's visitors lived within only a few hours of the parks and campgrounds.

“Last year was one of the bigger vacation seasons we'd had in some time,” he said, and “some indicated they had not been with us for a while.”

The Iowa Tourism Office partnered with the Iowa Lottery last year for a travel promotion aimed at resident and out-of-state tourists, said spokeswoman Jessica O'Riley. The program, which ran from May through August, was so successful that the entities partnered again this year.

The office also is making a promotional push in the Chicago and Minneapolis areas this year, figuring that the staycation or vacation-close-to-home phenomenon isn't over yet, O'Riley said.

“We certainly hope to draw out-of-state travelers,” she said. “There are a lot of attractions coming on line this summer which will certainly be draws.”

Tim Bryson, owner of Bryson's Airboat Tours in Fremont, Neb., said his business has increased in the last two years and shows no signs of slowing this year.

The Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area, just west of the town, has 20 sandpit lakes on 700 acres and is a favorite destination in eastern Nebraska for fishing, boating, skiing and camping.

Bryson said he has increased efforts to draw customers from the area, and tour bookings are slightly over what they were at this time last year.

Christian Hornbaker, travel and tourism director at the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, said Nebraska is one of the least expensive states for travel, which makes it attractive in recessionary times.

The organization primarily targets potential tourists from the Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver areas, although it also reaches as far as Texas.

“You can do an entire week on a budget that you might be using for a day or two in some of the larger states, going to the huge national attractions like Disney World,” Hornbaker said.

And Nebraska is “a good, strong driving destination.”

“With gas prices on the downswing, we're going to see more families out there getting in the car and traveling,” he said.

Lt. Col. Karen Himmelheber and her daughter took a real trip, albeit short, last weekend over the Memorial Day holiday. Himmelheber, who is relocating from Omaha to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., in July, drove to South Dakota.

They didn't have a real vacation last year, although that primarily was because of her work schedule, not finances, Himmelheber said.

“Camping was about the only thing we got in.”

They also attended The World-Herald's Fourth of July fireworks show at Rosenblatt Stadium, something they plan to do again this year.

“We had a wonderful time,” Himmelheber said.

Contact the writer:

444-1074, john.keenan@owh.com