By Zoya Gervis // SWNS
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
NEWS COPY w/ VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
The average American spends nearly 200 hours a year daydreaming about vacations, according to new research.
The poll of 2,000 Americans who have ever been on a vacation found on average, Americans will spend the equivalent of 24 working days just dreaming of a blissful reprieve from their busy lives.
In fact, of those studied, a whopping 82 percent revealed they daydream about vacations -- with nearly a third having these wishful thoughts often.
Conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Apple Vacations, the survey examined the travel booking behaviors of 2,000 Americans and discovered when it comes to booking a trip, 79 percent worry about getting the best deal.
The stress mounts for the 62 percent who say that finding a flight for any trip is incredibly stressful.
It’s no wonder then that Americans have to do their research and due diligence when booking a vacation.
Seven in 10 respondents say they call friends and family for travel recommendations when booking their next vacation – with a third doing so for every single trip they plan.
Seventy-six percent of those surveyed reveal they are adamant about browsing websites for reviews whenever planning a vacation – with 34 percent relying on website reviews for every trip they plan to take.
But even with all the planning involved with booking a vacation, a whopping 73 percent forget to book part of their trip – with 22 percent guilty of forgetting to book a key part of their vacation on every trip they take.
In addition, 71 percent of those studied have messed up the dates of their trips – with nearly a quarter (23 percent) guilty of messing dates up for every vacation.
Surely, there are reasons why Americans can’t seem to get things right when they book a vacation. The number one most difficult thing about booking a trip was found to be planning when to travel – as half (50 percent) of those surveyed say that’s the hardest thing about booking a trip.
And that’s not all that creates obstacles for people planning their next vacation. Forty-seven percent say finding the perfect place to stay is difficult while a further 44 percent reveal actually saving the money for the perfect vacation can be a challenge.
While 43 percent complain about coordinating schedules leaving them hard-pressed to fully book a proper vacation, another 42 percent say the difficulty of booking a vacation lies in finding things to do and building a solid itinerary for the trip itself.
Erica Doyne, Senior Vice President of Marketing for AMResorts®, stated: “Secrets® Resorts & Spas emphasizes the importance of getting to know the culture and traditions of the destinations. Whether it’s learning about the history of the destination to viewing art and traditions surrounding holidays, Secrets aims to show a variety of learning to all guests should they choose.”
But not everyone has the finances to travel as much as they’d like. Sixty-five percent of those surveyed reveal they are guilty of browsing vacation websites knowing full well they don’t have the money to plan anything.
In fact, the average American will spend 37 minutes a month on travel sites – perusing four vacation websites a month, or 48 vacation per year.
“The need to relax and rejuvenate is important in the lives of many individuals," said Erica Doyne, Senior Vice President of Marketing for AMResorts. "Browsing travel websites in their free time is a way to get ideas on what kind of vacation they may what next, or what destinations would suit them best based on what kind of itinerary they enjoy while traveling.”
Americans have vacation lust as they reveal they’ve looked at vacation-related websites while doing a number of other things. Three in five revealed they’ve perused travel websites while watching TV while a further 48 percent check out a vacation website while eating.
However, those aren’t the only times Americans will check up on a vacation website. Forty-seven percent will look at a vacation website on the job while another 45 percent they’ve checked out a travel-related website while watching the kids.
And it just so happens that seven in 10 respondents say they are always looking for their next adventure.
TOP 5 HARDEST THINGS ABOUT BOOKING A TRIP
1. Planning when to travel 50%
2. Finding the perfect place to stay 47%
3. Saving the money 44%
4. Coordinating schedules 43%
5. Finding things to do 42%
