by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:05 AM ET, Fri August 7, 2026
The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) has signed on to support the Protected Time Off (PTO) Act, which was introduced in Congress in July, 2025.
The PTO Act was introduced by Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) and would mandate at least 14 days of guaranteed personal time off for every employee in the United States.
The United States is the only advanced economy in the world that doesn’t provide guaranteed personal time off by law; in contrast, the European Union guarantees at least 20 paid vacation days annually.
The law would protect employees from discrimination for exercising their right to take personal time, ensuring that all full-time employees will earn no less than two weeks of paid annual leave per year at their standard rate of pay, in addition to any sick time, family or medical leave already guaranteed by law.
“We learned that 72% of Americans support guaranteed vacation of at least two weeks for all workers,” said USTOA’s President and CEO Terry Dale. “Yes, it’s in the interest of our members to support this bill, but it’s really so much more than that. This feels like a basic right of any full-time worker in this country.”
While the bill was announced in Congress last year, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) recently introduced the Guaranteed Paid Vacation Act in the Senate on August 6, a companion bill to the one currently in the House of Representatives. Several other Senate Democrats cosponsored the bill, including Senators Chris Murphy, Ed Markey, Ruben Gallego and Alex Padilla.
The protections in the bill are as follows: every worker earns at least one hour of paid annual leave for every 25 hours worked; full-time workers will earn at least two weeks of paid annual leave per year, at their rate of pay; and they’ll also receive protections against discrimination in taking their annual leave.
According to Sanders’ announcement of the bill, nearly one in four workers in America—over 33 million workers, including those working in the hospitality and travel industries—receive no paid vacation time at all. Nearly 40% of Americans report working at least 45 hours a week, with the average full-time worker clocking in 43 hours a week. Over nine million Americans work several jobs, with over five million working a part-time job in addition to a full-time job.
“It is beyond unacceptable that in the year 2026, the United States remains the only major country on Earth not to guarantee paid vacation time to workers. This legislation would put an end to that international embarrassment,” Senator Sanders said. “We hear a lot of talk about family values in America, but let’s be clear: When a husband, wife, and kids, during the course of an entire year, are unable to spend any time together on vacation, that is not a family value. That is an attack on everything that a family is supposed to stand for. It’s not a radical idea to require companies in America to provide at least two weeks of paid vacation to their workers. What’s radical is that millions of Americans are not only working longer hours for lower wages, but that they do not receive a single paid vacation day. That should not be happening in the United States of America, the richest country in the history of the world.”
The bill is supported by many unions and professional organizations, including those within the travel industry, such as the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation (SMART) Union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
