RANCHO MIRAGE, CA (JANUARY 30, 2017) To help fulfill America’s vacation resolutions this year, Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is planning a Facebook Live stream with Chill Chaser Amy Yerrington as part of the first-ever National Plan for Vacation Day on January 31. The live video will begin at 12:00 pm PST at facebook.com/palmspringsoasis.  Amy will be offering tips on planning your vacation in Greater Palm Springs.

More than half (55%) of Americans do not use all the time off they earn, leading to 658 million unused vacation days a year. National Plan for Vacation Day, launched by Project: Time Off, is a call-to-action for Americans to take back their calendars and plan their time off.

“The solution for our no vacation nation is simple,” said Scott White, President & CEO, Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau. “With a new year, there’s no better time to sit down, plan your vacation days out, and give yourself something to look forward to.”

Beyond the personal and professional benefits, America’s unused vacation represents a missed economic opportunity. If Americans used the 658 million unused vacation days, it would be a $22.1 billion boost for the California economy.

The single most important step workers can take to mitigate their fears about taking time off and make vacation possible is to plan their time off in advance. Yet less than half (49%) of households set aside time to plan the use of their vacation time each year. 

Planners have an advantage over non-planners. According to Project: Time Off’s The State of American Vacation 2016, planners use more of their time and take longer vacations.

  • 51 percent of those who plan took all their vacation time, compared to just 39 percent of non-planners.
  • 69 percent of planners took a week or more of vacation, compared to just 46 percent of non-planners.

Time spent planning pays off, according to the report, which also revealed a strong correlation between planning and increased happiness. The amount of vacation time taken showed a clear correlation to happiness at home; the more vacation days used, the lower the home-life stress. Respondents were also happier with their job, company, financial situation, and professional success.

The benefits of vacation go beyond the individual, extending to the organizations that employ them. Project: Time Off research also found that 89 percent of managers agree that by using time off, employees can de-stress, improve their health and wellbeing, and cut down on sick days and burnout. The majority (84%) of managers also agree that employees return to work after vacation with greater focus and creativity.

“Unused time off is not only a missed opportunity for an individual’s health, well-being, and success, but also for businesses who want the best version of their employees,” said Gary Oster, Managing Director of Project: Time Off. “National Plan for Vacation Day ensures our hard-earned time off is put to good use for the benefit of all.”

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About National Plan for Vacation Day

National Plan for Vacation Day is a national observance dedicated to encouraging Americans to plan their vacations for the rest of the year at the start of the year. According to Project: Time Off, a national movement to transform American vacation attitudes and behaviors, individuals who plan their vacation time for the year are more likely to use all their time off and take longer vacations. Learn more at ProjectTimeOff.com/PlanForVacation and join the conversation with #PlanForVacation.

About Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official tourism agency for the entire Coachella Valley, providing sales, marketing and promotional efforts targeted to potential leisure and convention group markets. The CVB serves more than 2,000 business partners throughout Riverside County’s nine-city region of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella. Learn more at VisitGreaterPalmSprings.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Joyce Kiehl
o:  760.969.1338 | m: 510.673.1886
e:  jkiehl@palmspringsoasis.com