The overall number of extended trips remained
the same at an average of 1. 9 per year, while the
average number of weekend trips fell from 2. 8 to
2. 5.
These data suggest that travelers are cutting back
on the weekend getaways but hanging on to their
cherished vacations.
NUMBER AND DURATION
OF LEISURE TRIPS
WEEKEND TRIPS
EXTENDED TRIPS
WEEKDAY TRIPS
2009
2008
2009
2008
2009
2008
Respondents who took a leisure trip within
the last 12 months
59%
65%
55%
50%
30%
31%
VACATIONS ARE GOOD FOR YOU
Over the last several years, Take Back Your Time
has been lobbying for mandatory vacation time in
the U.S.
The movement is focused not only on the health
benefits of taking vacation time but also the economic benefits, including employee productivity
improvements, as well as the potential benefits to
the travel and tourism sector.
For the first time, Take Back Your Time will be
hosting a Vacation Matters Summit this year.
Mean for all leisure travelers who have
taken a trip within the last 12 months
2. 5
2. 8
1. 9
1. 9
1. 9
2
Share of all trips
48%
53%
33%
28%
19%
19%
Weekend trip: One to four nights including a Saturday night stay. Extended trip: Five nights or more. Weekday trip: One to four nights, no Saturday night stay.
The purpose of the event, slated for Aug. 10 to
12 in Seattle, is to “bring all these groups together
to share the information they have to make the
case that we need more vacation time in America,”
said de Graaf. “Some people [who] will be attend-
ing and presenting at the conference ... may not
believe that a law is the best way to go. Where the
minimum level of agreement is, is that Americans
really don’t have enough vacation time and that
vacation time is a good thing.”
