Feature Articles for July, 2008

Did You Know? - Summer Vacations

Summer vacations have long been a tradition in the United States. Perhaps because of school being out for several months during the summer season or the casual attitude summer weather promotes, many people choose to take their vacations in the summertime. While that vacation time is valued, compared to other countries it’s miniscule. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), among the more developed countries the United States lags far behind some of its counterparts when it comes to the average number of vacation days each year. While the average Italian citizen enjoys 42 vacation days per year, in the United States workers enjoy less than one-third of that total. The average American worker gets just 13 vacation days each year, exactly half the number the country’s neighbor to the north, Canada, enjoys each year. Following Italy at the top of the list are France (37 days), Germany (35 days) and Brazil (34 days). Joining the U.S. near the bottom of the list are Korea and Japan, both of which average 25 days of vacation per year. TF087068