Americans continue to leave hundreds of millions of unused vacation days on the table each year despite the proven benefits of taking time off.
The U.S. Travel Association's Project: Time Off coalition is here to reverse that trend.
January 30 is National Plan for Vacation Day January, and the motivation behind the initiative is simple: More than half of Americans (54 percent) fail to use all of their vacation days while roughly half (51 percent) fail to plan for a vacation, according to research from Project: Time Off.
However, data also shows that those who plan ahead are more likely to capitalize on their vacation days, take longer trips and be happier as a result.
According to Project: Time Off's State of American Vacation 2017 report, 52 percent of planners used all of their available vacation days compared to just 40 percent of non-planners. Three out of four planners were also more likely to take a full week of vacation or more at a time.
Plus, more planners reported being "very" or "extremely" happy with their relationships (83 percent vs. 70 percent) and health and well-being (57 percent vs. 48 percent) compared to non-planners.
The positive vibes also extend to the workplace. According to the same research, more vacation planners reported being very or extremely happy with their company (57 percent vs. 51 percent), and job (59 percent vs. 50 percent) compared to non-planners.
Unused vacation days and diminished time off also stunt economic growth. For example, 61 percent of employees in California have unused vacation days, and those 90.3-plus million unused days equate to more than $17.9 billion in untapped economic benefit, according to data from Project: Time Off.
Hundreds of organizations-including NYC & Company and the Illinois Office of Tourism-have joined forces with U.S. Travel this year to encourage Americans to value their unused vacation days and help them get a headstart on the calendar.
"It starts with each of us encouraging our friends, family, and colleagues to schedule and take the entirety of their vacation," NYC & Company president and CEO, Fred Dixon said in a statement. "I make sure to lead by example and plan time off so I can return to work refreshed. Internally, we also encourage our entire staff to take their allotted time off, through initiatives including a PTO planning party, scheduled for January 30, 2018."
[READMORE]READ MORE: When Should You Start Planning a Vacation?[/READMORE]
Destinations and tourist attractions from coast to coast will participate Tuesday by hosting events, disseminating information and tips on social media and awarding prizes to encourage Americans to think about vacation. For instance, NYC & Company has curated a list of popular events in New York and insider tips while the Illinois Office of Tourism will host a pop-up vacation station to inspire commuters inside Chicago's Union Station Great Hall Tuesday and Wednesday.
Nonetheless, you don't have to wait until then to begin planning your dream vacation.
Not sure where to start? Project: Time Off has developed a free vacation planning tool to use whether you have one or 21 vacation days. Users can then share their custom calendar link to get friends and family involved in the planning process. Once complete, plans can be exported to Gmail, Outlook and other convenient electronic calendars and planners.
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