NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For additional information, contact:
William Precht, sr. media/public relations manager
Visit Lake Charles
(337) 436-9588 or (800) 456-7952
Visit Lake Charles Encourages Everyone to Celebrate
National Plan for Vacation Day
LAKE CHARLES, La. (January 15, 2020)— As part of National Plan for Vacation Day on Tuesday, Jan. 28, Visit Lake Charles is encouraging everyone to plan time off for the year and also invite friends and family to visit during 2020.
More than half of American workers (55%) failed to use all their time off last year. That’s a stockpile of 768 million unused vacation days just in 2018, of which 236 million were forfeited completely. The key to using more vacation days is planning. However, nearly half of American households do not do this simple step—and they lose out on their time off and the benefits it brings.
“The beginning of the year is the time to pull out the calendar and start planning for the entire year. Before you know it, life happens, and you may find yourself in November with weeks left to use and simply not enough time left in the year to schedule them,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association, the organization rallying the industry around this nationwide event.
Using vacation days to travel also improves the U.S. economy, creates American jobs and has a positive impact on health and overall well-being. In fact, if Americans used all their time off to travel, our economy could see a boost of $151.5 billion in travel spending and an additional 2 million U.S. jobs.
“Whether it’s planning to travel or simply planning a stay-cation to explore your city, research shows that taking time off improves professional performance and strengthens personal relationships. We encourage everyone to use National Plan for Vacation Day as a day to plan to take their valuable time off for the year,” said Kyle Edmiston, President/CEO of Visit Lake Charles. “By committing to planning on January 28, people can enjoy all the benefits of taking a break.”
To help employees get their vacation days on the calendar, U.S. Travel Association has created a Vacation Planning Tool. By simply entering the number of days off they earn, users can plot out their trips or vacations for the year, export to their work or personal calendar and share with their friends, family and co-workers.
Visit Lake Charles also encourages residents of Southwest Louisiana to enrich their relationships with friends and family who live outside the area by inviting them to visit Calcasieu Parish. For itinerary ideas on things to do in Southwest Louisiana and inspirational photos by visitors to the area, go to www.visitlakecharles.org/planvacation and search for #VisitLakeCharles or #PlanForVacation on social media.
For more information on Visit Lake Charles, visit www.visitlakecharles.org or call 337-436-9588.
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National Plan for Vacation Day takes place during the last Tuesday in January as a day to encourage Americans to plan their vacation days for the rest of the year at the start of the year. Launched by the U.S. Travel Association’s Project: Time Off initiative in 2017, National Plan for Vacation Day provides an opportunity to come together at a single moment to rally around the importance of planning for vacation. In its inaugural year, more than 600 organizations, representing all 50 states came together to encourage Americans to plan for vacation. Learn more at ProjectTimeOff.com/Plan and join the conversation online with #PlanForVacation.
