DALLAS, May 09, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In recent years, as once exotic travel trends such as eco-tourism and adventure travel have become commonplace, vacations are increasingly about unique and intense activities rather than relaxation. But with a recent Travelocity® poll of more than 1,500 Americans1 revealing that current events have nearly half (48%) of Americans feeling more stressed than they did one year ago and of those, 40% saying that they are “much more stressed”, it may signal a shift to once again using summer vacation to unwind and de-stress.
An infographic accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b7e34f2e-d678-4af0-9c85-ad47047e66e5
To find the best vacation ideas for people needing to take a break this summer, Travelocity enlisted the expertise of its Gnational Gnomad travel community to get professional insights into the best ways to kick back and relax. Travelocity polled this group of 14 experienced travelers to get their recommendations for a restful and refreshing getaway.
Unsurprisingly, the number one recommendation was to disconnect by taking in an indulgent spa treatment. According to Gnational Gnomad Ava Roxanne Tritt, aka Spa Travel Gal, “There is nothing like luxuriating at a spa to truly recharge. And best of all, a great spa treatment can be part of an adventure across the globe, or the highlight of a staycation across town. Either way, pampering yourself at a spa is a perfect way to escape the stress of everyday life.”
While some of Ava’s favorite places to find relaxation are Jupiter Beach, Florida, Vancouver and Los Angeles, she also says that people can also find an escape even closer to home.
Following spas, taking time to explore local sights was the second-most mentioned relaxing activity. Kirstin Maxwell, founder and editor of kidsareatrip.com makes it a point to learn about the destinations that she visits with her family in her travels. “For too many people, sightseeing becomes a race to check places off of a list. But turning a vacation into a race to see everything on a predefined list prevents people from really unwinding. Sightseeing should be about experiencing the people and culture of a new place, not just a mad dash to take selfies at the most popular landmarks.”
Some destinations that Kirstin has found to be most amenable to leisurely exploring include New Orleans, Chicago and Lisbon.
Stress-free booking with the Customer First Guarantee
For a stress-free booking experience, all Travelocity customers are backed with the Travelocity Customer First Guarantee, which offers travelers hotel changes, free flight changes within 24 hours of booking, a price match guarantee and class-leading online customer service. A study of social media customer service for the fourth quarter of 2016, commissioned by Travelocity and performed by leading social media analytics firm Socialbakers, demonstrated that Travelocity’s Customer 1st Guarantee, for the second straight quarter, delivered the fastest response time of any major US full-service online travel agency.
“We understand that a vacation should be a time of worry-free relaxation, so we created the Travelocity Customer First Guarantee to eliminate the stress that can sometimes be a part of travel,” said Naaz Nichols, senior director of customer contact for Travelocity. “Rather than fretting about what might go wrong, our customers can enjoy their vacations, knowing that Travelocity is there for them 24/7.”
About Travelocity
Travelocity encourages travelers to “Wander Wisely™” and is dedicated to being the champion of the customer with its Customer 1st Guarantee, making the traveling experience both simple and memorable with competitive prices, 24/7 customer service and more. Based in Dallas, Texas, Travelocity is owned by Expedia, Inc., one of the world’s leading travel companies, with an extensive brand portfolio that includes many of the world’s leading online travel properties.
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1 Methodology: Conducted by Google Surveys, April 7-9 2017 and based on 1507 responses. Sample: National adult Internet population.