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New study commissioned by U.S. Travel Association finds that worker burnout is high right now.
January 24, 2022

New Study: American Workers Need To Recharge, Travel More

National Plan For Vacation Day sheds light on how taking a vacation can help releive worker burnout

During "National Plan for Vacation Day," celebrated on Jan. 25, the U.S. Travel Association puts out its call encouraging workers to plan their annual vacations and use their yearly paid time off (PTO) for activities that help them relax and recharge like visiting the beach or playing golf.

According to a new study commissioned by the association, Americans who plan out their PTO end up taking more time off to travel, yet one-quarter (24%) of American households are not taking the time to plan their vacation time.

Planning out your vacation time in advance can relieve the pressure of making last-minute decisions, allow you to use your PTO more effectively, provide you with more options before opportunities book up, and give you something to look forward to, according to U.S. Travel.

The advantages to planning and taking a vacation shouldn’t be understated as the U.S. Travel survey finds many American workers feel exhausted or overwhelmed with more than two-thirds (68%) feeling moderately burned out and 13 percent feeling extremely burned out.

“The research reflects what so many have known for quite a while––that the stresses of the past year can, at least in part, be lifted by thinking about and planning time away to recharge and experience something new,” said U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow. “There are real benefits to getting vacation plans on the calendar at the start of the year, which include the happiness associated with travel and committing to take off all the time that is earned for a hard-earned break.”

Employers should also know that employees who take a vacation are not only less stressed but are more willing to stay on the job. In fact, nearly 70 percent of U.S. workers say their ability to take vacations is an important factor in keeping them in the workforce. And the majority of workers rank PTO as the second most important employee benefit after health insurance benefits. 

The survey commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association was conducted by Destination Analysts via an online survey of 1,200 employed Americans. Survey respondents must have worked at least 20 hours a week at a company that employed at least two people and earned paid time off in 2021. The survey was fielded Dec. 6 - 17, 2021.

U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry. In 2020, travel generated $1.5 trillion in economic output and supported 11 million jobs, a drastic decline from pre-pandemic figures. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. Visit ustravel.org for information and recovery-related data.