When asked about the motivations that inspire their vacations - the overwhelming majority cite "spending time with friends and family" or, increasingly, to enjoy some long-overdue R&R.
Yet a growing number of Americans are taking some vacation time to pursue what they consider a more fulfilling use of their time away from work: to help less fortunate people or support a humanitarian cause.
Called "Volunteer Vacations," this year marks the first time we have measured this emerging trend in our National Leisure Travel Monitor™, and the results are quite remarkable.
As noted below, fully 6% of active leisure travelers say they have taken such a vacation during the previous 12 months:
AGREE: Percentage 2006 Have taken a "Volunteer Vacation" during the previous 12 months to help less fortunate people or support a humanitarian cause 6%When extrapolated to the population of all active leisure travelers in America, this represents an impressive number of vacations…and vacationers. So what's driving this elevated sense of obligation on the part of time-impoverished Americans? The answer is growing social activism and a corresponding belief that the actions of just one person can, in fact, make a real difference to those in need. Stated another way, these are individuals who derive great personal satisfaction from lending their time and skills to a specific humanitarian cause. They truly want to bring home more than a tan.
There are now over 150 organizations that facilitate such vacations. To learn more about the beneficiaries, costs and related commitments required visit
www.globalvolunteers.org, www.crossculturalsolutions.org or
www.volunteeradventures.com. Let's not forget, however, that the typical adult takes four vacations each year. Accordingly, even volunteer vacationers still have ample opportunity to enjoy some of the most frequently cited attributes sought in a vacation as set forth below:
Considered Very/Extremely Desirable: (2006 Percentage Agree)- Beautiful scenery 84%
- A safe destination 83%
- A place I've never visited before 78%
- A beach experience 65%
- A place I have visited before 62%
- A hotel with a casually elegant atmosphere 54%
- Participating in activities with children 51%
- An opportunity to eat different and unusual cuisine 51%
For additional information on the results of the Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown/Yankelovich Inc. 2006 National Leisure Travel MONITOR™, please click here:
www.ypbr.com/page_loader.php?tid=v3&sid=marketintelligence&pid=leisure 
