Summer is the season for vacations for millions of Americans, and while we can’t wait for our getaway to start, new research suggests planning may be the best part. It finds that two-thirds (68%) of people say the anticipation of their next trip is as good as, if not better than, the actual trip.
According to a survey of 2-thousand U.S. adults who’ve traveled within the last year:
- Planning the trip is the most fun for 28%, but 54% say nothing compares to being at the destination.
- Of course, all good things must come to an end and 78% agree that going back home at the end of the vacation is the worst part.
- That can lead to the “post-vacation funk,” and 22% start to feel it kicking in on the way home.
- But it’s even worse for the one in 10 who experience it before they even leave the trip.
- Travelers who’ve had this post-vacation funk say it takes over, making them miss the destination (41%), miss having something to look forward to (35%) and gets them thinking about their next trip (34%).
- The funk can be so bad, it makes people feel worse than being stuck in traffic (36%) or than their favorite TV show being taken off streaming (18%).
- About a quarter (26%) of respondents admit they crave the “buzz” of having a trip planned most of the average week.
- To get to go on a paid trip right now, people would be willing to give up “a week’s pay,” “eating out for a month,” or “listening to music for a week.”
- Nearly a third (31%) admit they’ve started planning their next trip while still on vacation, and 47% say they would try it to help ease their post-vacation funk.
- Right now, the average person is thinking about four trips and already has two planned.
- Whether they’re booked or not, seven in 10 say their ideas for their next getaway are constantly on their mind.
- Overall, travelers say having a trip planned gives them something to look forward to (56%), makes them happier (43%) and more motivated (41%).
Source: Talker