Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (VAAAC) is making it easy for individuals to make National Plan for Vacation Day (Tuesday, January 28) as fruitful and productive as possible. VAAAC is sharing findings of its recent #KidsLoveAnnapolis contest to help individuals who are following the U.S. Travel Association’s (USTA) advice by setting aside time on January 28 to begin mapping out their 2020 vacation plans.
VAAAC’s November 15 through January 12 #KidsLoveAnnapolis social media contest encouraged kids to submit 30-second videos showing what they most like to do in and around Annapolis when family and friends come to visit. A VAAAC kids’ committee comprised of VAAAC staffers’ kids and their friends selected eight winners whose creations were edited into a single video. VAAAC will promote the #KidsLoveAnnapolis video on January 28 and 29 via digital ads on Facebook and Instagram in markets from New Jersey to Northern Virginia.
VAAAC President and CEO Connie Del Signore says the insider scoops on Annapolis fun are designed to give families a jump start on mapping out their 2020 vacation plans on January 28. “The kids have already done the heavy lifting! When it comes to having fun, kids are the experts, and they’re telling us what they like to do. If vacation planners take our winners up on their advice, they’re likely to have some happy campers on the home front!”
#KidsLoveAnnapolis winners gave a thumbs up to Sandy Point State Park, Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake, Westfield Annapolis Mall, Downtown Annapolis, St. Patrick’s Parade, U.S. Naval Academy, Thomas A. Dixon Observation Park, Storm Bros. Ice Cream Factory, and Chuck E. Cheese at Festival at Riva. The winners are from Anne Arundel and Carroll counties. They range from four to 11 years of age.
As a thank you for their insights, VAAAC presented each winner with a gift basket filled with goodies donated by VAAAC partners. The prizes include: an annual pass to Anne Arundel County Parks; a family four-pack of tickets to Pirate Adventures on the Chesapeake; complimentary admission to Mission Escape Rooms; complimentary admission to Be with Me: The Children’s Playseum at Westfield Annapolis; complimentary overnight stays at DoubleTree Annapolis, SpringHill Suites Annapolis, and Westin Annapolis; and a Navy-themed baseball cap and stuffed animal.
Del Signore says VAAAC is celebrating National Plan for Vacation Day to encourage Americans to take their well-deserved time off. According to Del Signore, “As the #KidsLoveAnnapolis video and our family-friendly itinerary show, a great way to do this is by experiencing Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. By committing to planning on January 28, Americans are helping ensure they’ll begin reaping the benefits of taking a break. They’ll also be giving themselves something to look forward to – a fun-filled visit to America’s Sailing Capital.”
According to USTA, 55-percent of American workers failed to use all their time off in 2018. There were more than 768 million unused vacation days that year – of which 236 million were forfeited completely. The key to using more vacation time is planning, yet 46-percent of American households fail to do so. National Plan for Vacation Day is designed to help turn this statistic around.
Using vacation days to travel could also help improve the nation’s economy, create American jobs and have a positive impact on our health and overall well-being. As USTA sees it, if Americans used all their time off to travel, the U.S. economy could see a boost of $151.5 billion in travel spending and the creation of an additional two-million U.S. jobs.
