Study finds people daydream about vacation more in the winter

The average American thinks about some place they would rather be for at least 40 minutes per day, according to new research.

That’s according to a new survey of 2,000 Americans that looked at how long Americans spend thinking about their next vacation.

From researching destinations to going down travel-related rabbit holes on social media, results showed people accumulate 4.7 hours a week on average dreaming of far-flung places.

The survey conducted by Talker Research on behalf of CheapCaribbean Vacations found that, for some, that 40-minute figure goes up in winter by 16% (46 minutes per day) thinking about being on vacation or fantasizing about adventures.

What goes into that fantasy thinking time? Respondents cited 21 minutes of travel vlog watching and 25 minutes on other social media content based on destinations and travel each week.

When you also factor in 22 minutes of weekly research the average respondent says they do towards tickets and pricing and the 26 minutes of talking to friends and family about going somewhere else the weekly escapism total reaches nearly five hours, or more than two full working days per month.

“Taking a break is essential for everyone’s well-being,” says Michael Lowery, head of global consumer business at CheapCaribbean Vacations. “A true escape from your everyday life — even for just a few days — can work wonders. All-inclusive resorts make it easy to disconnect from the pressures of reality and reconnect with yourself or loved ones, offering a seamless, one-stop getaway where everything is taken care of. From the planning to the relaxation, it’s an effortless path to paradise.”

And does this dreaming of exotic locations or far away adventure ever encroach on our work lives? It certainly does. When those who were employed were asked to estimate how much of their last work week they spent thinking about travel, 2.3 hours was the average response — or one full work day per month.

So do thoughts of vacation, warmer climates and adventure help or hinder our approach to work? Close to half (46%) said they find it motivating to think about travel goals and trips or destinations while working, while a fifth (19%) said it’s less motivating.

Motivation or not, does the average worker feel wanderlust impacts their performance? Of those employed within the survey, 36% said their work and productivity suffers in the winter because they’re daydreaming of vacation.

Americans are also definitely prepared to follow those travel dreams — 63% of respondents would happily trade their winter season at home if it meant they could go somewhere tropical instead.

That might be why the average respondent says they complain about their local weather three times per week.

And, perhaps as an attempt to cope, if they can’t get to their fantasy location, people still like to look at pictures of their dream spot — 45% have a tropical picture, beach picture or warm weather photo somewhere at home whether that’s a screensaver on their computer, a framed picture or their phone wallpaper.

No surprises that the beach tops the list of destinations or trips we think about the most, followed by road trips, mountains and dreams of island-hopping.

“Often, the hardest part of vacation planning is deciding where in the world to plant your beach chair,” said Dana Studebaker, vice president of marketing of consumer brands at CheapCaribbean Vacations. “Some of my favorite beaches are in Cancún, Jamaica and Aruba. We’re lucky to have so many beautiful resorts at our fingertips ready to support visitors for a beach vacation of their dreams.”

TOP 10 LOCATIONS AMERICANS DREAM OF

1. Beach
2. Roadtrip
3. Mountain
4. Island hopping
5. Camping
6. Adventure
7. Theme parks
8. Cultural/historical
9. Festival/event
10. Culinary/food

TIME PER WEEK THINKING ABOUT VACATION = 4.7 hours per week

Including…

• Watching travel vlogs - 21 mins
• Other destination travel content - 25 mins
• Researching ticket prices, costs - 22 mins
• Talking to friends and family about going somewhere - 26 mins

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans; the survey was commissioned by CheapCaribbean Vacations and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Sept. 20 and Sept. 23, 2024.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.