Travel Industry Association (TIA) - The Benefits Are Everywhere

Health And Wellness

Travelers rate their overall health one full point higher (on a scale of 1 to 5) while on vacation. They also get three times more deep sleep after their vacation and sleep almost 20 minutes longer after their vacation.

 

An annual vacation can cut a person’s risk of heart attack by 50 percent.

 

Relationships

At least four out of ten travelers feel more romantic on vacation (42%), and nearly one-third admit to making love more often on vacation (31%).

 

More than half of employed Americans say they come back feeling reconnected with their family after vacation (53%).

 

Career Success/Productivity

Travelers experience a 25% increase in performance on vigilance tests after returning from vacation – travelers 45 or older show a 50% increase in performance.

 

There's a good chance the benefits of vacation will go straight to the bottom line. According to a study by American Express, more than a third of small-business owners say their best ideas – the ones that lead to business growth – come not at work but during their downtime.

 

An inability to take a break can lead to stress, burnout, and a greater likelihood of feeling betrayed and angry when things do not go well at work. Anxiety of top executives often translates into low morale and slumping productivity throughout the ranks.

 

Creativity

Business travel can be fertile ground for discovering creative ideas for work or even a new business, according to a recent New York Times story. The reason travel spurs inspiration is the stimulus, said Jeannine McGlade, co-author of “Stimulated! Habits to Spark Your Creative Genius at Work.” “When you’re in a new environment, you have what we call ‘eyes wide open. It’s not the ‘same old, same old’ where you tend to get into a rut and aren’t alert to having a ‘spark moment.’ Things are different and fresh during travel. You’re seeing things from a different perspective and you’re really paying attention.”

 

By The Numbers

24 -- Percent of American leisure travelers who would be willing to trade an increase in pay for an increase in vacation time.

 

8.1 – Average number of vacation days American workers receive after a year on the job, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Americans get the least amount of vacation time among countries in the industrialized world.

 

 

To download the full results of the study, CLICK HERE.