Sick of Working? Your Doctor May Have the Cure

LAS VEGAS, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A landmark summer research study has unveiled a vital component of wellness and happiness...vacations. The survey, "The Takeaways from Getaways," commissioned by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, draws attention to the serious physical and emotional implications of stress and feeling over worked, and the inextricable link between vacation and personal wellness and happiness.

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The research revealed surprisingly that more than 9 out of 10 Americans reported feeling happier after taking a vacation. And seventy-seven percent (77%) believed that their overall health improves after a getaway. Even so, more than half of Americans admitted that doctors should be able to prescribe vacations as a curative and therapeutic option for stress-related maladies.

To view the complete summer research, and discover more interesting vacation findings, visit the "Takeaways from Getaways" colorful interactive landing page at

http://www.visitlasvegas.com/vacationstudy/

"Vacations will greatly improve your quality of life," said Dr. Ian Smith, health and wellness expert, member of The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition; and author of New York Times Bestsellers, The Fat Smash Diet, The 4 Day Diet, Happy and his latest book, The Truth About Men.  "Americans are always on the go and that rapid pace has serious effects on the deterioration of the mind and body. I hope the findings of this research inspire Americans to take their wellbeing into their own hands and take the time to get away."

But despite the overwhelming consensus of the holistic and therapeutic benefits of getaways, Americans are slow to take them and the amount of unused vacation time-off is approaching epidemic levels. Startling, the survey exposed over half of employed Americans have either lost, or know someone who has lost unused vacation time-off from work. Why are American workers stockpiling their vacation days? Surprisingly, the economic times are not a reason time off is being put off. Eighty-two percent (82%) of survey participants report vacations are equally, if not more important in tough economic times.

More interesting takeaways from getaways include....

• Americans are more connected to memories than mementos: For eighty-two percent (82%) of participants, their happiest life moments came from vacation experiences.
• Sabbaticals are radical for your well-being:  Almost six out of ten (59%) employed Americans believe that losing paid vacation time decreases a person's well-being.

The research, conducted by the Washington, DC area firm, Heart+Mind Strategies, surveyed 1,000 U.S. residents by phone between the ages of 21-74 who have taken at least one overnight trip for vacation or pleasure in the last 12 months. The margin of error is +/-3.1 at the 95% confidence level.

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Looking For Vegas Summer Stuff? Hashtag is #TakeBackSummer

ABOUT THE LVCVA

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center.  With 151,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 10.6 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever‑increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area.  For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.VisitLasVegas.com.

ABOUT HEART + MIND STRATEGIES

Heart+Mind Strategies (www.heartandmindstrategies.com) is a market research consultancy based in Reston, VA. Heart+Mind Strategies provides strategic decision making insight and advice to help clients understand the hearts and minds of the people that matter most to their enterprise, and transform that understanding into measurable success. Our approach is grounded in a rigorous framework and experience-driven set of principles that have elected presidents and prime ministers, strengthened corporations, bolstered declining industries, and reinvigorated global brands. We apply state-of-the-art and forward-looking qualitative and quantitative market research techniques within a Wirthlin-inspired framework and set of principles.

SOURCE The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority