What: Americans Are Burnt Out and Did Not Use All Their Vacation Days Last Year
Most Americans (81%) feel somewhat to extremely burnt out, according to new data from Destination Analysts on behalf of the U.S. Travel Association. After nearly two years of dealing with pandemic stressors, this is hardly surprising, with remote employees working more hours than they did prior to the pandemic (53%). In addition to struggling to unplug after work (61%), only one quarter of Americans used all their paid time off in 2021, leaving an average of 4.6 days of vacation on the table.
Why It Matters: Planning Vacations Makes Americans Happier — Really
With growing burn out comes increasing awareness of the need to take vacations, which is news that travel agents can use. Nine out of 10 respondents agreed that it was important to use their paid time off to travel, and six in 10 agreed that travel is more important than ever.
After nearly two years of living with the pandemic, Americans are in serious need of the reset that a vacation offers, no matter how near or far it may take you.
The majority of respondents (61%) are putting their money where their mouth is and making travel a top budget priority for 2022.
The data also put an emphasis on the act of travel planning, asserting that “close to three- quarters (74%) of planners reported being extremely or very happy anticipating and planning vacations in the next year versus just four in 10 of non-planners.”
To bring attention to the importance of vacation planning — and to take advantage of research that shows that most Americans (81%) are ready to travel within the next six months — more than 7,000 travel organizations will be celebrating National Plan for Vacation Day on Jan. 25.
Fast Facts: Planners Travel More Than Non-Planners
- National Plan a Vacation Day started as a way to combat the issue of Americans not taking all their paid time off. But this year, the campaign has also focused on the impact of the pandemic on American workers — many of whom are burnt out and overworked.
- According to the data, “planners prioritize traveling with their paid time off, a trend that is expected to continue to rise in 2022, whenre 53% of planners anticipate traveling more than previous years versus 27% of non-planners.”
- The research also showed that planners travel more than non-planners. More than half (56%) of Americans who typically planned their time off took an overnight vacation in 2021 compared to 33% of non-planners.
- Avoiding burnout was rated as the top motivator for planning a trip in the next six months.
- Social media content for National Plan for Vacation Day will be tagged using #PlanForVacation.
What They Are Saying: Americans Are in Need of a Restful Vacation, Which Will Make Them Better Workers
“After nearly two years of living with the pandemic, Americans are in serious need of the reset that a vacation offers, no matter how near or far it may take you,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “National Plan for Vacation Day is the perfect opportunity to sit down with family and friends and make plans for much-needed time off for the rest of the year. Rested and recharged workers create a better, more productive workplace. I encourage business leaders and team members to make vacation planning a priority, particularly frontline employees who have been working harder than ever during the pandemic.”
The Details
National Plan for Vacation Day
