(Originally published in TOURISM)
In a recent article published on Travelmole.com, David Wilkening asked if the traditional once-a-year two-week vacation (which used to be the American standard) wasn’t gradually being replaced by three- and four-day getaways.
Citing a recent study by Orbitz (the online travel company), Wilkening highlights an increase in numbers of Americans taking a week or less of holiday time. At the same time, one‑third of respondents said they took five or fewer days of vacation in the past year. “One in four of those surveyed said they felt their bosses did not encourage them to take vacations, and one in three said they stayed connected with their office via phone or computer while on holiday,” Wilkening noted.
"Our sense is that people are busier than ever with their lives, their family activities and their kids," said Jeanenne Diefendorf of Orbitz. "So they find it difficult to take an extended vacation and easier to balance if they're only gone a couple of days."
According to Ernst Flach, the CTC's US leisure marketing manager, this is consistent with what previous studies have shown, and it may bring new opportunities for Canada: "Canada has an advantage when compared to other international destinations because of our proximity to the US and our accessibility in general to Americans. They can get here more quickly to make the most of the shorter holiday breaks they take."
"Furthermore, Flach continues, "we know that Americans who come here really enjoy themselves, so there is opportunity to get them to come again, try different experiences, and tell their friends. All this is true to our high‑yield strategy."
A 2005 survey a survey of 2,000 workers conducted for Expedia.com found US workers would fail to take advantage of roughly 421 million vacation days allotted to them that year; it found approximately one‑third of American workers said they didn’t use all their vacation days. “Compared to European and Canadian workers," the survey found, "US employees use the fewest vacation days each year (12 on average) and are most likely to work more than 40 hours each week."
In a recent article published on Travelmole.com, David Wilkening asked if the traditional once-a-year two-week vacation (which used to be the American standard) wasn’t gradually being replaced by three- and four-day getaways.
Citing a recent study by Orbitz (the online travel company), Wilkening highlights an increase in numbers of Americans taking a week or less of holiday time. At the same time, one‑third of respondents said they took five or fewer days of vacation in the past year. “One in four of those surveyed said they felt their bosses did not encourage them to take vacations, and one in three said they stayed connected with their office via phone or computer while on holiday,” Wilkening noted.
"Our sense is that people are busier than ever with their lives, their family activities and their kids," said Jeanenne Diefendorf of Orbitz. "So they find it difficult to take an extended vacation and easier to balance if they're only gone a couple of days."
According to Ernst Flach, the CTC's US leisure marketing manager, this is consistent with what previous studies have shown, and it may bring new opportunities for Canada: "Canada has an advantage when compared to other international destinations because of our proximity to the US and our accessibility in general to Americans. They can get here more quickly to make the most of the shorter holiday breaks they take."
"Furthermore, Flach continues, "we know that Americans who come here really enjoy themselves, so there is opportunity to get them to come again, try different experiences, and tell their friends. All this is true to our high‑yield strategy."
A 2005 survey a survey of 2,000 workers conducted for Expedia.com found US workers would fail to take advantage of roughly 421 million vacation days allotted to them that year; it found approximately one‑third of American workers said they didn’t use all their vacation days. “Compared to European and Canadian workers," the survey found, "US employees use the fewest vacation days each year (12 on average) and are most likely to work more than 40 hours each week."
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