National Plan for Vacation Day: The Collective Impact of Tourism
January 13, 2021
This year’s National Plan for Vacation Day (January 26, 2021) feels different than in previous years. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the tourism industry hard. This year will be a recovery year for many. Destinations are looking to reclaim their past success. They will look to bring travelers to their communities and revitalize their local economies. Americans are also in need of travel. According to the U.S. Travel Association, 63% of Americans say they desperately need a vacation. After a difficult year, National Plan for Vacation Day presents an optimal opportunity to schedule time to step away from your busy life—while also helping generate a collective impact in communities across the country.
What National Plan for Vacation Day Means to Us
National Plan for Vacation Day is an important initiative in our industry and for individuals’ well-being. It encourages everyone to take a break from their busy lives, relax and recharge, experience new places, and create new memories with friends and family. Tourism is the lifeblood of our agency. It not only provides livelihoods to our employees, but helps us generate a collective impact in our partners’ communities—creating better places to live, work, and play.
Madden was founded as a family business around the goal of helping our community by promoting local shopping, restaurants, and experiences. Our desire to spread that impact across the country has driven our growth, and guides our decision to work exclusively within the tourism industry—the ideal industry for generating a collective impact.
Generating a Collective Impact
Our partners’ work is so much more than heads in beds. The travelers they bring to their destinations touch everyone in their communities. The shoppers they bring to main street local businesses grow their economies. The public funding generated by tourism-related revenue goes towards a quality education and safe places to play for the children of their communities. The money service industry workers earn during peak tourism season feeds families and gives people a place to call home. We choose to serve our partners, and we are proudly promoting National Plan for Vacation Day, because of these impacts.
Plan Your Next Trip
So, plan your next vacation and research new places to visit. Your trip and the money you spend will ripple through a community for generations. Especially now, when the pandemic has ravaged the tourism and service industries, travelers are needed more than ever. The relaxation and fun your vacation brings to you and your family also means so much to the families who live and work in the place you visit.
And while we want people to get out and travel, we want to ensure that the impact travelers are making on communities is positive. While we’ve entered a new year, COVID-19’s challenges have not disappeared. Wherever you travel, wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, maintain social distancing, and follow local health guidelines. Taking these steps will help make travel safe for everyone and lead to a faster tourism industry recovery.
Your Vacation Means More This Year
2020 was a tough year. Many lost loved ones or lost time spent with loved ones when trips, weddings, events, and more had to be postponed. We’re encouraging people to mark this new year, and National Plan for Vacation Day, by taking the time to make up for lost time. Plan a visit to a beach destination this winter. Map out a camping trip for the springtime. Schedule time to meet up somewhere with family and friends this summer. Take steps to spend more time outdoors this fall. Whatever your reasons for traveling, by planning your next trip today, you start looking forward to the experiences coming your way, the memories you’ll create, and the collective impact you’ll make on the destination you choose to visit.
Read more about how Madden is generating a collective impact for our partners.
