Santa Monica Travel & Tourism Encourages Americans to Plan for Vacation
Research Shows Planners Take More Vacation, Are Happier
Santa Monica, Calif. (January 30,2018) — As part of National Plan for Vacation on January 30, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) is reminding Americans of the importance of planning for vacation.
Every year more than half of Americans (54%) fail to use all their time off, creating a stock pile of 662 million unused vacation days.
The most effective remedy for American workers who want to use more vacation days is better planning. Yet just over half (54%) of households set aside time to plan the use of their vacation time each year. National Plan for Vacation Day, launched by Project: Time Off, is a call-to-action for Americans to stop making excuses and start making vacation plans.
“Santa Monica Travel & Tourism is celebrating National Plan for Vacation Day because it’s time for Americans to reclaim their vacation days,” said Misti Kerns, President/CEO of SMTT. “By planning, we can all reap the benefits of taking a break while giving yourself something to look forward to.”
Research shows that planners have a distinct advantage over non-planners. Project: Time Off’s The State of American Vacation 2017 report found that planners use more of their time, take longer vacations, and are happier.
- 52 percent of planners took all of their vacation time vs. 40 percent of non-planners.
- 75 percent of planners were more likely to take a full week of vacation time or more at a time. Non-planners take significantly fewer days—zero to three—than planners at once (42% to 18%).
- More planners report they are “very” or “extremely” happy with their relationships (83% vs. 70%), health and well-being (57% vs. 48%), company (57% vs. 51%), and job (59% vs. 50%) compared to non-planners.
To help employees get their vacation days on the calendar, Project: Time Off created a vacation planning tool. By simply entering the number of days off earned, users can plot out their trips or vacations for the year, export to their work or personal calendar, and share with their family and co-workers.
“Don’t let your vacation days go to waste,” added Kerns. “Plan your next trip to Santa Monica where you can relax by the beach, experience art, explore the bustling culinary scene and discover all that this beach city has to offer.”
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About Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) is a non-profit organization designed to increase visitor expenditures, tourism revenues and local employment opportunities through the promotion of Santa Monica as a travel destination. For travel and accommodation information or a free copy of the official Visitors Guide, the public can write to the Santa Monica Visitor Center, 2427 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405; call (800) 544-5319 or (310) 393-7593; visit www.santamonica.com; or email info@santamonica.com. Follow SMTT on Twitter @GoSantaMonica, on Instagram @SeeSantaMonica or become a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/visitsantamonica.
About National Plan for Vacation Day
National Plan for Vacation Day, celebrated on January 30, is a day to encourage Americans to plan their vacation days for the rest of the year at the start of the year. Launched by the U.S. Travel Association’s Project: Time Off initiative in 2017, National Plan for Vacation Day provides an opportunity to come together at a single moment to rally around the importance of planning for vacation. In its inaugural year, more than 600 organizations, representing all 50 states came together to encourage Americans to plan for vacation. Learn more at ProjectTimeOff.com/Plan and join the conversation online with #PlanForVacation.
Contact: Lauren Salisbury
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
310-319-6263
lsalisbury@santamonica.com
