It's easy to dream of palm trees and sunshine this time of year when Mother Nature holds a tight grip on winter, sending us endless gray days and chill-biting temperatures.
Winter, however, is also a good time to plan vacations for the rest of the year. In fact, there's a day set aside for just that: National Plan for Vacation Day, held the last Tuesday of January. That day has passed but Travel Michigan and others in the travel industry want to remind you to plan your vacations
now.
“We determined years ago that Americans simply aren’t taking all of their vacation time. That’s crazy,” says Dave Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan. “We all work as hard as we can to get those benefits and we deserve them -- not just in pay but time off. We’re all so busy we run out of time for vacation and don’t use it.”
Travel Michigan has been involved in the national promotional campaign for several years, looking to bolster travel in the Great Lakes State.
“We decided to get involved for a couple of reasons,” Lorenz says, adding publicity across the state has grown over the years. “People are not using up all their vacation days, which means they’re not spending their money in Michigan. They’re not spending money in
Pure Michigan. We need to maximize this opportunity.”
The travel industry and partners began tracking American vacation usage in 2015. Survey findings have continuously shown that vacation days are not being used, negatively affecting mental health, personal relationships and job performances. Statistics show 50 percent of Americans don’t take all of their vacation.
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Marquette Golf Club “This effort is also about encouraging people to take those days and spend time with family and friends and people you have not yet met yet during your travels,” Lorenz says. “The whole thing about travel is that it’s important for your body and soul. It’s not something we talk enough about.”
The National Plan for Vacation Day helps highlight the importance of taking time off to travel -- both for personal health and well-being and for the overall economic prospect for the country’s tourism industry. And Michigan’s.
Tourism in Michigan, according to a Michigan Economic Development Corporation study, had a $43.1 billion economic impact on the state in 2021 -- that includes all forms of visitor spendings -- hotels, restaurants, attractions, shopping -- and taxes to state and local communities. The number of visitors grew to 117 million in 2021, up about 10 percent or 11 million, thanks to growing consumer confidence in traveling and measures helping ease the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lorenz says research shows that even planning a vacation creates happiness and excitement. For people who don’t take the time to plan their vacations, anxiety builds up as they worry about running out of time. And then they do.
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Lake Huron Beach in Oscoda
“It’s important we maximize every day we have and get out and enjoy ourselves,” says Lorenz, who, as you might expect, is planning a Michigan destination as part of his travel plan this year. Last year his family planned a trip to Beaver Island. Previous trips included the Upper Peninsula and the Oscoda-Alpena area.
“We use the last day of January as a reminder. We’re in the midst of winter but a lot of people can’t wait for summer,” he says. “Now is the time to set the dates, set your bookings and plan so you don’t miss out on that time off.”
It’ll also help your wallet. Hotels and resorts follow dynamic pricing techniques, with rates changing in relation to demand. Static prices are no longer common. So, waiting to book later for a time during peak travel will mean higher rates. “Booking in advance will almost always save you money,” he says.
Lorenz offers some Michigan-specific recommendations for travel:
Consider popular tourist destinations like Traverse City and Mackinac Island in the spring and fall when there are fewer visitors. Hotel rates are typically cheaper and there will be more elbow room at local attractions. It’s the same for Michigan golf destinations --they typically offer great values in the spring and fall.
Consider places you’ve never thought of before. Oscoda springs to mind. The Lake Huron community "is at the top of the list in quality,” he says, offering vacationers beaches, parks, and a host of outdoor activities.
The Great Lakes draw lots of attention, but Michigan is home to more than 11,000 island lakes. “There are really cool inland lakes people should consider. The list is endless,” he says. “We have a lot of cool places in Michigan to go.”
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Traveling to less familiar places in Michigan, including communities that differ from your own, can be invaluable experiences. Cities like Flint and Saginaw are far different than the suburbs of Metro Detroit or cities on the state’s west side.
“They can remind you that we’re all the same,” Lorenz says. “We need to go to places where people seem different from us. We have a very diverse state in terms of people and places …”
To plan your trip, go to Michigan.org.
“We always say your trip begins at Michigan dot org. What we mean by that is that it is best to plan things out, to have an idea of what you might want to do and the places you might want to go to but without overly understanding what you're going to experience …. You want to leave some of that joy of discovery in your travel experience.”