U.S. Travelers Need Time Off More Than Ever: Survey+ Finds Half are More Stressed Than a Year Ago

PARSIPPANY, N.J., May 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Raising families, navigating jobs, balancing social commitments - there's a lot on Americans' plates these days. The result – 51% of U.S. vacationers admit they're more stressed today compared to a year ago, and it's causing more than one in three (37%) to cancel or delay their trip. Luckily, there are a number of simple tips that help make vacation planning easier so travelers can enjoy their vacations to the fullest.                                                                   

A new survey⁺ commissioned by Wyndham Vacation Rentals^® identifies what's holding U.S. travelers back from being vacation-ready – that state-of-mind where they feel liberated from the rigors of daily life and ready to enjoy their time off. Respondents identified the most common travel pain points from planning and packing to relationship challenges:

• Too many choices: Two in three (67%) vacationers have become stressed due to 'information overload' and are paralyzed with too many choices when researching and planning. Two in five (41%) get stressed about scheduling things to do during their trip.
• Trouble leaving the daily grind behind: Once on vacation, it takes time to unwind and forget about the stress of work and personal responsibilities. Three in 10 (30%) U.S. travelers don't feel truly relaxed until the second day of vacation or later.
• Relationship-testing moments: Two in three (67%) have argued with a travel companion as a result of stress caused by planning or taking a vacation. One in four (25%) have even broken up with a significant other while traveling. The good news? One in four (26%) have also met the love of their life on vacation.

"Times have changed and the daily demands of everyday life have travelers thinking differently about vacation," says Gail Mandel, CEO, Wyndham Vacation Rentals. "At Wyndham, we understand vacations are more important than ever and that getting away shouldn't feel like work. We offer travelers a place to feel at home, as well as a team of local professionals to provide assistance should they need it, so they can relax and enjoy their vacation stress-free."

The survey revealed the following ways travelers can make their vacation stress-free:

• Don't wait until the last minute to pack: Packing is so dreaded that half of all respondents said they would give up alcohol for a month or social media for a week to avoid doing it! Travelers can reduce the stress of packing though without making such a sacrifice. Nearly two in three (65%) say not procrastinating on packing your bags would minimize stress.
• Unplug from work: Creating separation from work helps travelers get into a vacation-ready mindset. More than half (56%) felt not checking work email and voicemail reduces stress. The majority of travelers said taking an extra day off work before leaving for vacation or coming back a few days before returning to work would also help.
• Space, clean clothes and closed doors: More than three in five vacationers (62%) think booking accommodations with space and privacy would make their next vacation less stressful and half of vacationers (50%) think that being able to do laundry would help.

Wyndham Helps Travelers Be Vacation Ready

With the overload of vacation planning information available today, nearly half (48%) of all respondents said having a ready-made vacation itinerary would reduce stress. To make it quick and easy for travelers to plan their next great vacation, Wyndham's team of local market experts curated experience guides for more than 20 popular destinations from Charleston's Islands in South Carolina to Palm Springs, California. The week-long itineraries strike the perfect balance between downtime and "go" time, so travelers can relax while still seeing the best of each location and experiencing hidden gems when it comes to dining and shopping.

In addition to the guides, Wyndham has also created a planning hub that includes tips for overcoming the biggest travel pain points and great summer travel deals to further help the everyday traveler get vacation-ready. To visit the Wyndham planning hub, go to www.BeVacationReady.com.

⁺Methodology
The 2017 'Vacation Ready' survey was conducted online from April 19 to 21, 2017 by APCO Insight on behalf of Wyndham Vacation Rentals among a nationally representative audience of 1,037 adults age 18+. To qualify, respondents must have gone on or planned a vacation in the last 12 months.  Survey respondents were targeted to be representative of the national population of adults on age, gender, and region. The purpose of the 'Vacation Ready' survey is to examine the amount of 'vacation stress' everyday travelers encounter and how it directly affects their lives and relationships.

About Wyndham Vacation Rentals

Wyndham Vacation Rentals, the world's largest professional manager of vacation rental properties, is part of Wyndham Destination Network and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). Backed by one of the world's largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Vacation Rentals provides access to more than 117,000 vacation rental properties in nearly 650 unique destinations worldwide. Wyndham works closely with property owners to ensure all rentals meet its standards for customer service, quality and comfort. More than 25 regional rental brands fall under the Wyndham Vacation Rentals umbrella including Hoseasons, James Villa Holidays, Landal GreenParks, Novasol, and http://www.novasol.com/ ResortQuest. Through this collection, Wyndham delivers distinct vacation experiences ranging from beachfront condos, private homes and villas to castles and houseboats. Many properties offer kitchens, washers and dryers and other home-like conveniences along with maid service, spas, fitness centers, and golf courses. For additional information visit our media center or wyndhamvacationrentals.com. Also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Google+.

SOURCE Wyndham Vacation Rentals

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