More Americans Are Planning Vacations -- but Should They?
Vacations are a luxury many of us hope to enjoy. It's therefore encouraging to hear that more Americans are planning vacations this year than they have in the past. In a report by the Conference Board, the percentage of U.S. adults planning to take a vacation in the next half-year jumped in October to its highest level since 1978.
Why the vacation boom? Some are attributing it to increased optimism in the economy, fueled by relatively low unemployment and healthy stock market conditions. But interestingly, data tells us that despite these factors, most consumers actually remain skittish on spending with one major exception: vacations. Currently, over 63% of Americans are planning to go on vacation in the next six months. By contrast, back in April 2009, that figure peaked at 33%. Now to be fair, April 2009 was deep in the heart of the Great Recession, but it still goes to show how far we've come since that point.
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Source: Fool.com
