Coloradans Top the Nation in Taking Vacation

 

Colorado leads the country in using earned vacation days, according to new research from Project: Time Off, an initiative created by the U.S. Travel Association to promote the wellness and work benefits of taking time away from the workplace.

On average, Coloradans took 20.3 days off in 2017, well above the national average of 17.2 days. And they spent 11.7 of those days traveling, compared with the national average of 8.

“Our own research shows that Coloradans take 2.4 vacations a year on average, with 1.3 of those overnight experiences taking place right here in Colorado,” said Cathy Ritter, director of the Colorado Tourism Office.

“For us, that statistic makes perfect sense,” she said. “As Coloradans, we are fortunate to have world-class travel experiences in every corner of our state, and the opportunities to explore are endless. We’re glad to know our residents are enjoying their hard-earned vacation days.”

Coloradans’ enjoyment of their own state is well documented in research commissioned by the CTO. Longwoods International Inc. identified the top source of vacationers in Colorado last year as Coloradans, who accounted for 33 percent of all overnight leisure trips. Arrivalist found that only Texas or Florida residents were more likely to take a four-day overnight trip in Colorado than Coloradans.

"Coloradans have a beautiful state to explore right out their back door," said Project: Time Off Vice President Katie Denis. "But they are doing more than just taking the most vacation days. They are also traveling with a majority of those days, which can boost their health and wellness and create stronger bonds with their family and friends."

Even with their higher-than-average use of vacation, 68 percent of Coloradans are still leaving vacation days on the table—higher than the national average of 52 percent. Had Americans used the 705 million vacation days they wasted last year, Colorado’s economy would have benefitted from nearly $3.5 billion in additional direct spending in the state, according to Project: Time Off.

Residents looking for ways to use those extra PTO days are encouraged to explore the CTO’s Colorado Field Guide, an online collection of more than 80 multi-day travel itineraries, offering places to stay, eat and have fun in every corner of the state. Travelers can search for trips by region, city, trip length, activity or season to find the perfect getaway in their own back yard.