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The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

Canadians not using their vacation time

By: Talbot Boggs, The Canadian Press

28/07/2010 3:38 PM | Comments: 0

(Special) - Canadians aren't getting enough - vacations that is.

A new Harris/Decima poll has found that although Canadian workers have an average of 19.68 days a year off, almost one quarter don't use all their vacation time and give back an average of 2.17 days.

The most common reasons Canadians give for not using their full vacation time include not scheduling their vacation well enough in advance, they are too busy to get away or their significant others are not able to get away from their jobs.

Another recent poll commissioned by the potato chip people, Frito Lay Canada, found that more than half of Canadians don't think they can even afford a holiday this year.

An overwhelming 75 per cent of those participating in the survey said they won't be taking a summer vacation at all, they'll be staying at home, or they'll be vacationing in their own province.

There are lots of ways to still take a summer vacation without spending a fortune travelling across the country, to the United States or overseas.

Some Toronto hoteliers report a portion of their business is coming from within the city itself and from the suburbs. People are simply booking a hotel in the city, enjoying the local sights, shopping and going to the many fine restaurants the city has to offer.

Whether that ends up being cheaper in the end than finding a last-minute, all-inclusive get-a-way package will depend, I suppose, on where you stay, how much you shop, and which restaurants you choose to frequent, all of which can add up pretty quickly.

The same can be true for other large cities in North America which have large suburban areas and populations. It's easy for people to get in the car or public transit and hike it into the big city for a weekend of fun and relaxation.

Discount summer vacations do exist, but you've got to do a little research to find them.

Theme parks and golf and beach resorts here and abroad do exist and can easily be found on the internet or by talking to your local travel agent. Warm weather destinations like Mexico, the Caribbean, and Myrtle Beach, which are usually more popular spots during our Canadian winter, often offer low rates and special deals during the summer.

In addition to price reductions, many popular vacation destinations offer special packages geared to families. You may be able to receive a discount for your children at vacation resorts, hotels and theme parks.

Some other ideas are to visit your local zoo or theme park and sign up for a season membership if they offer one.

You can easily take a day trip to a local beach or provincial park or extend that to a camping trip for a few days or a week. If you already have the gear available, this can be an extremely frugal vacation option that also provides some excellent family bonding time and opportunities.

Check out local cultural events and fairs. Certainly around Toronto there are fantastic theatre opportunities in Stratford and Niagara-on-the-Lake and smaller ones like the Blyth Festival.

Local sporting events such as minor league baseball and football games offer excellent, inexpensive family outings. You can join your local community tennis club if there is one near you, and spend the afternoons at your local community swimming pool.

Lays has launched Lay's Chip Trips, a new program that allows Canadians to save thousands of dollars on local trips simply by purchasing their favourite chips. Chip Trips has partnered with more than 400 Canadian attractions and businesses to offer more than 5,000 individual trips.

You can become eligible through specially-marked bags of Lay's chips available across the country through early August. You sign up for a Chip Trips account at lays.ca and can bank points by entering the unique PIN on the back of the bag. The points can be redeemed for thousands of different discounts at local attractions, stays at Marriott Hotels and savings at golf courses offered at www.lays.ca.

"We want to give back to our consumers by launching Lay's Chip Trips, which will help our consumers rediscover Canada this summer," says Tony Matta, vice president of marketing with Frito Lay Canada. "With hundreds of local partners, we'll be able to reach people in every community across Canada."

Talbot Boggs is a Toronto-based business communications professional who has worked with national news organizations, magazines and corporations in the finance, retail, manufacturing and other industrial sectors. (boggsyourmoney@rogers.com)

Copyright 2010 Talbot Boggs

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