National Plan for Vacation Day, on the last Tuesday in January, reminds us to plan our vacation at the start of the year for the rest of the year. The early bird gets to pack their bags and fly away to a little fun and relaxation!

With the frigid temperatures and growing snow piles, it’s easy to start daydreaming of sunny skies. Who else is dreaming of sandcastles and the vacation days to come? But, for many Americans, those vacation dreams turn out to be just that: a dream.

Each year, Americans leave more than 600 million vacation days unused. Our work martyr attitudes combined with a culture of silence in the workplace is keeping workers at their desks instead of using their time off.

To change this, National Plan for Vacation Day reminds us to plan our vacation at the start of the year for the rest of the year. When it comes to taking a vacation, it is the planners of the world who get the job done. Planners are more likely to take all their vacation time in a given work year and take more extended vacations than non-planners. They are also happier with their jobs, relationships, and health. So don’t knock the planners who get out the door to vacation! Get planning!!

NATIONAL PLAN FOR VACATION DAY HISTORY

National Plan for Vacation Day, celebrated on the last Tuesday of January, is 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 a  vacation. In its inaugural year, more than 600 organizations, representing all 50 states, came together to encourage Americans to plan for vacation.

About the Founder
Project: Time Off has uncovered an alarming trend over the last 40 years: Americans are taking fewer and fewer vacation days. To reverse this trend, we aim to prove that vacation travel is valuable and necessary for strengthening personal relationships, inspiring creative thinking, improving professional performance, and promoting better health.

Explore More…

• Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day
• National Shop for Travel Day
• National Learn a Foreign Language Month
• Wine Tourism Day
• National Virtual Vacation Day
• National Wanna Get Away Day
• National Plan for Vacation Day
• National Road Trip Day

HOW TO OBSERVE PLAN FOR VACATION DAY

Stay-cation is a vacation you take but you stay home during your time off. You may choose to work on projects that you find enjoyable, sleep in, or tour your cities sights. It’s an excellent opportunity to pamper yourself. Sometimes these stay-cations or simply a long weekend. Other times, they incorporate some serious time off.

Even though a stay-cation may be less detailed than a get-away vacation, it still requires planning. You’ll need to request time off from work. Schedule lunch dates with friends and family. Check the hours of the local museums, book stores, and historical sights. Either way, get planning!

Three Easy Steps to Planning a Vacation

Planning a vacation does not have to be a monumental task. Here are three easy steps to make it happen:

1. Determine how much time off you earn. Look up the number of vacation days you earn by checking with your finance or HR team. Don’t forget to make a note of any office closures.
2. Coordinate calendars. Plot out your year—enter the number of days you earn, put your vacation dreams on the calendar, and use your custom link to get your family and friends involved in the planning.
3. Share your plans. Once you have your days determined, use the calendar to export your plans to Outlook, Gmail, or other electronic calendars to share with your boss, co-workers, and family.

As we close out a month of resolutions, make this the year you focus on your bucket list—not your to-do list.

Get ready to plan your vacation and use #PlanForVacation on social media. Be sure to check out our Travel Board too.