As part of National Plan for Vacation Day on January 30, the Virginia Beach CVB is encouraging residents of our coastal region to decompress, destress and take some time off this year by planning a vacation now.
Research by U.S.Travel Association shows that every year more than half of Americans (54 percent) fail to use all their time off, creating a stock pile of 662 million unused vacation days. In Virginia, the number is higher, with 59 percent of employees leaving 16,039, 278 days unused. Those unused vacation days mean less revenue flowing through Virginia’s economy and missed opportunities of more than $2.86 billion in untapped economic benefit.
The most effective remedy for American workers who want to use more vacation days is better planning. Yet just over half 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.
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.