Recently, I visited the Watertown Convention and Visitors Bureau in Watertown, South Dakota. I always love speaking to a group whose job it is to deliver a memorable experience to visitors and vacationers – they’re always up for a fun conversation!

This trip, I spoke with Julie Knutson, Executive Director of the Bureau, and she shared some quite interesting news about vacation and tourism! Has it been a while since you took vacation time away from work? The impact to our economy of not taking a vacation is actually pretty significant.

She shared Project Time Off, out with a new report on the State of American Vacation in 2018, and it’s fascinating. Unused vacation represents nearly $260 billion in uncaptured spending and nearly two million unrealized jobs in tourism and travel services.

That’s right: by not taking your vacation time, you’re not only leaving benefits on the table, you’re also impacting the overall economy.

Check out our entire conversation at the video. Learn more about Project Time Off here. Oh, and take your vacation days!

Very special thanks to Julie and the team in Watertown for their hospitality and this interesting info.