Up-to-the-Minute Travel Insights from Travel Guard

According to Survey: Americans Work Too Hard!

Travelers Often Putting Work Above Vacation Time;
Nearly One Third of Those Surveyed Do Not Use All Yearly Vacation Days

Stevens Point, WI – (May 29, 2008) – With Americans trailing the rest of the world in annual number of vacation days, a recent survey conducted on behalf of Travel Guard, one of the nation’s leading providers of travel insurance and assistance plans, sought to find out if Americans work too hard. The survey indicated that despite dreams of long vacations, Americans are cutting short their vacation days and canceling or postponing trips.

A recent nationwide survey of 735 American travelers, conducted by RUF Strategic Solutions on behalf of Travel Guard, found that 33 percent of those polled said that they end up not using two or more vacation days each year.  Some 13 percent of those polled said they have been forced to cancel or postpone a scheduled trip last year due to a work related conflict.

The average number of vacation days per year in the U.S. is 13, according to a 2007 study by the World Tourism Organization (published by Pearson Education, as Info please). However, nearly 60 percent of travelers polled state that their dream vacation would last a month or more. Traveling for more than a month doesn't seem to be a problem for professionals in other countries, as the average vacation days are 28 in the U.K., 26 in Canada and an admirable average 45 days per year in Italy. 

Despite the lack of vacation time, polled travelers do know what they want in a dream vacation. When asked if money were no object, 45 percent of those polled said their dream vacation adventure would be an around the world cruise. A month-long tour of Europe, an African safari, exploring Australia and traveling to a remote island without phone, e-mail, etc., were also listed among dream vacation adventures. Of those travelers polled, 55 percent said they would choose significant others/spouses to accompany them on their dream vacation, followed by 22 percent wanting their immediate family to travel with them.

Seeing new places and experiencing new things is the best part about taking a vacation, said 70 percent of travelers in the survey. Another 17 percent just want to get away from the daily routine and pressures of everyday life. Close to 40 percent prefer to explore a destination on their own, while 30 claim the best part of a vacation is participating in guided sightseeing excursions.

A travel insurance plan, like those sold through Travel Guard, can cover any vacation — whether it’s a dream vacation, or what you can do right now.  When cancellations and postponements arise, travel insurance can reimburse travelers should they need to cancel for a covered reason. Travel Guard offers a Cancel for Any Reason option as well as Cancel for Work Reason option on select programs for those canceling a trip simply because they change their mind — or work forces them to cancel —if purchased within 15 days of initial trip deposit. For more information, travelers can visit www.TravelGuard.com.

Travel Beat is a new survey offering the latest traveler insights conducted by Ruf Strategic solutions on behalf of Travel Guard.