American workers are blending vacation time and remote work, giving themselves a chance to have more travel flexibility than ever before. A survey by Go City, world’s largest sightseeing pass business says that 50 pc of Gen Z and nearly 30 pc of US travellers plan to take a workcation this year.
Go City says in a press statement that it surveyed about 1000 workers in United States and around 48 pc of those surveyed work remotely, with 29 pc saying they plan to work remotely while on vacation in 2023 and approximately 25 pc would extend a trip this year by working remotely.
“Over the last months, I have seen an uptick of clients who’s number one question is about Wi-Fi on a cruise or all-inclusive resort. Clearly, more and more people are not only using Wi-Fi for uploading social media pics, I’m being told that working vacations are on the rise, big time,” says Scott Lara of a cruise website.
Data showed that over 75 pc of respondents said remote work allows them to be more flexible with their paid time off (PTO), while 80 pc revealed they believe travel is easier as a remote worker.
In terms of where people want to take their workcation, Americans are looking to kick back with their laptops in California, Florida and Hawaii. Around 48 pc of respondents also said they check their work email while on vacation.
More than a quarter (26 pc) will be taking one vacation this year, around 33 pc of Americans are planning two trips and 30 pc are taking three-or-more trips. As for budgets, 67 pc are putting money aside for travel, while 53 pc had to cut back or change their plans due to the economy.
As for how many days of Paid Time Off Americans think they deserve, the study found the average was 28 days, with 45 pc using all of their PTO time in 2022. Among those with unlimited PTO, the average person takes 19 days off annually.
Gio City says that the survey found 86 pc of Americans wish they had more time off the clock and that in terms of time away from work, 36 pc report having 10 days or less of paid time off (PTO) per year. Nearly 1 in 5 (17 pc) have 11-14 days, 1 in 10 have 15 days, 29 pc of full-time workers have over 16 days and 8 pc have unlimited PTO. Most Americans think 28 days is the ideal vacation time.
Go City says that for some people, it can be hard to disconnect from work while out of the office. In fact, 48 pc of Americans say they check their work email while on PTO. Baby Boomers are the generation most guilty of doing this, with more than 3 in 5 opening their work email on vacation. Surprisingly, Millennials are least likely among the generations to check their email while traveling. Among all ages, nearly 2 in 5 (39 pc) say they answer emails while on vacation, and 1 in 10 feel very inclined to do so.
Nearly half (48 pc) of those surveyed work remotely. Among them, the workcation trend seems to be booming or 29 pc say they plan to work remotely while on vacation in 2023, and 1 in 4 will extend a vacation this year by working remotely.
The term ‘digital nomad’ is used for a remote worker who travels freely by working from different locations like coffee shops, libraries and coworking spaces with wireless internet. In recent years there’s been more talk about digital nomads and in fact, 1 in 5 remote workers consider themselves to be one. Gen Z claims the title the most at 31 pc. Go City says that it is no secret being able to work remotely offers more flexibility in everyday life, and that’s impacting travel. More than 3 in 4 Americans believe remote work allows them to be more flexible with their vacation schedule, and 80 pc say it is easier to travel as a remote worker.
A quarter of remote workers plan to work in a different city, state or country than where they live in 2023. When it comes to the most ideal places to work remotely, California tops the list, followed by Florida and Hawaii. Nearly 1 in 10 are making their ideal place to work a reality and are planning to work under the sunny skies in Florida this year. More than 1 in 4 Americans plan to take a workcation in 2023. Among the different generations, half of Gen Z say they will take a workcation, followed by 26 pc of Millennials, 24 pcof Gen X and 22 pc of Baby Boomers.
More than 1 in 3 (35 pc) have taken a blended work and travel vacation before and nearly 60 pc say they’re just as productive as they’d be at home. When on these blended trips and not working, the top things travellers want to do are relax, try new restaurants or cuisine and sightsee.