REPOST: 4 tips on planning your spring/summer vacation

After the holiday break, summer vacation is fast approaching. This article shares tips on how to get the best deals during summer.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - With winter here and the holidays behind us, it's time to start the countdown to our spring and summer vacations! While it might be hard to believe, you need to start planning soon to get the best deals.

UALR's Dean of the School of Business Dr. Jane Wayland stopped by THV11 This Morning to help.

1. Plan your budget - Decide how much you can spend and choose a destination. Factor in tips and souvenirs and transportation.

2. Book your flight - Watch flights over time to estimate cost.

3. Look into travel insurance - Whether you need travel insurance depends on the expenses of your trip and your comfort level. If you feel you need insurance, look into what you need and what plan will work best for you.

4. Combine deals - Combing flights and hotel rooms will often get you the best bang for your buck.

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If you are looking for an affordable vacation today by follow this PGR Destination Twitter account.

Don't be a work martyr: The case for taking more vacation leaves

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Compared to the past four decades, Americans are currently taking less time off work. The decrease is evident in comparisons of average paid time off that employees took in 2000, which was at 20 days, to just 16 days in 2013.

Today’s workers are either too dedicated to their work or are wary about asking for vacation leaves because they fear losing out on opportunities for a promotion or a raise. Studies have shown that employees who had paid time off left up to five days unused. While they could bank those unused vacation leaves for the future, they still permanently lost up to 1.6 days of paid leaves even if they’ve earned it.

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This trend has some negative effects on the economy. In total, American workers permanently lost 169 million days of paid time off. Such figure is equivalent to billions of dollars in unused benefits and essentially provided their employers free work at an average $504 per person. If more workers took 20.3 days of vacation every year, which was the average between 1976 and 2000, it would amount to 768 million additional days and result in $284 billion of economic impact–with $118 billion in direct travel spending.

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Apart from the economic impact, taking time off from work benefits workers in other ways. With work-life balance, workers tended to be happier, healthier, and more productive at work. It is also important to note that using up paid time off has no impact on a person’s eligibility for a raise or a promotion, so it is much better for workers to relax and recharge from time to time to ensure higher productivity and work satisfaction.

Preferred Guest Resorts provides promotional vacation packages to numerous destinations. Visit this Facebook page to find more reasons to go on vacations.

Four ways to beat the post-vacation blues

Most people take vacations in order to relax, unwind, and have fun, and expect to return to their daily routine invigorated, with a spring in their step and a more positive outlook in life.

For many people, however, the shock of returning to the daily grind after a vacation cause restlessness and sadness instead. This condition is called post-travel depression, or the post-vacation blues.

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Having post-vacation blues is unpleasant, but it will soon pass. Although extreme cases can take weeks or even months to disappear, most cases clear up on their own within a few days. The following are some ways to help shake off the sadness more quickly:

Don't rush

Part of the reason why some people feel blue after a vacation is because they don't take time to ease into their normal routine. Jumping straight into the swing of things can be jarring. Planning a day off from work or other responsibilities as soon as one arrives home can help ease the transition from vacation to daily life.

Appreciate the present

People who remind themselves of what they love about their community, home, school, or place of employment might find it easier to come to terms with the end of their vacation. Catching up with friends, visiting the local park, or getting involved in a community activity can help remind people that they can enjoy life no matter where they are.

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Exercise

Vigorous exercise releases endorphins or chemicals which trigger positive feelings, such as euphoria or a general sense of well-being, helping ward off sadness. Exercising is also a great way to work off jet lag and post-holiday pounds.

Plan for the next trip

A great way to overcome the post-vacation blues is to start planning for the next trip. Thinking about and planning for the next getaway can help post-vacation-blues sufferers stay focused and positive, and provides them with something exciting to look forward to.

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While daily life might seem burdensome and dull immediately after a vacation, people can take heart in the fact that they have plenty of travel opportunities still to come.

PGR Destinations provides promotional vacation packages to numerous destinations. Like this Facebook page for related articles on how best to beat the post-vacation blues.

Make Your Vacation Time Pay

In a recent survey of 2,300 people by research firm Harris Interactive for the website Glassdoor, employees only use 51% of their paid vacation and paid time off. Even more troubling, one-in-four reported being contacted by a colleague about work while vacationing, and one-in-five said they heard directly from their boss while away from work. In a separate survey by Harris for the travel site Expedia, within the past year workers left an average of four days on the table; twice as many as last year and, shockingly, the equivalent of more than 500 million lost vacations days a year.

In a concerted study by GfK Affairs & Corporate Communications and the U.S. Travel Association, one-third of the 1,000-plus respondents said they could not afford to take their time off; 40% were afraid of returning from vacation to an overwhelming amount of backed-up work, and 35% felt that no one else could effectively perform their job while away.

Whatever the case may be, such findings speak volumes about our work ethic and how little we respect the advantages of taking regular vacations. Preferred Guest Resorts has been striving to incentivize workers with money-saving vacation packages at truly great destinations to take advantage of that much-neglected and needed time off.

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Preferred Guest Resorts (PGR) began its operation over 30 years ago, and continually builds strong partnerships in the travel and vacation sector today with truly unbelievable vacation packages that save customers both time and a fortune in holiday expenditures.

Since money worries seem to draw the workforce into a professional shell, PGR offers financial solutions so you can enjoy enticing and affordable vacation packages when vacation is needed.

A visit to the PGR website gives viewers an in-depth look into the many different vacationing options the company offers, and how customers can enjoy amazing holidays with travel, lodging, car rental, and entertainment costs a fraction of what you would normally pay.

Check out the Preferred Guest Resorts website today and see for yourself how spending a mere 90 minutes listening to an interactive and educational presentation could lead to something as promising as a vacation ownership package – saving thousands for liberating vacation time you rightfully deserve today and far into your professional future.

Curb Work and Start Planning Your Next Vacation Getaway

How does a Caribbean cruise sound to you? Or maybe a comprehensive vacation package to white sand beaches of Costa Rica? What about an exclusive trip with all the amenities to Napa Valley country in California? If you happen to be reading this while memos pile up on your desk and deadline notifications continue to spring up on your screen and the last time you took such an outing is escaping you, then it is probably time to start planning your next vacation, and soon.

Studies have shown that taking regular breaks from work and making it a point to vacation regularly can improve your health. It is highly-doubtful that your conscience is going to argue, and you can almost bet that family and loved ones would definitely support such a decision. When the time has come to take a step back from the daily stressors of professional life and truly get out and start living, you need to take action while saving some time and money by contacting the specialists at Preferred Guest Resorts.

Preferred Guest Resorts, or PGR, has been providing cost-cutting vacation ownership packages to customers at premier destinations for over 30 years. Their focus is on saving individuals and their families’ time and money by offering exclusive vacation packages to potential vacationers throughout the world. They have established strong relationships with some of the most recognizable names in vacation travel (Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, to name just a few), thereby allowing potential travelers to explore unbelievable destinations while paying a fraction of conventional holiday costs.

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If a person wanted to get immersed in wilderness and wildlife then PGR would align them with My Smokey Mountains Getaways, and soon enough prospective adventurers will quickly learn about the amazing Pigeon Forge, Tennessee offerings. Nestled in the foothills of the Smokies, Pigeon Forge offers an array of unbelievable attractions that will meet up to just about any kind of personality. For thrill seekers Mother Nature is abound in the area with over 800 miles of trails available for hiking and/or biking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and tubing, as well as indoor skydiving, bungee jumping, zip lines, and much, much more.

To discover the Best Vacation Ever for your next holiday outing while saving bundles of time and money, visit the Preferred Guest Resorts website and start making plans to get away from the office and out into the unexplored and yet experienced right away. The visit will be well worth it and can save you lots of money, making your next trip a financial breeze.

The Break with the Most Bang for Your Buck

Since scientific research has unequivocally shown that vacationing provides a direct path towards healthier physical and mental living, a lot of hard-working men and women now make it a point to venture out, see the world, and relax more frequently whenever possible. Some people still struggle to fit a proper holiday into their busy schedules, however, and a good majority of the time finances play a major part in preventing individuals and families from putting a hold on their demanding workload and taking a step back for a little breathing room.

Fortunately for the overly ambitious and financially-wary, companies like Preferred Guest Resorts are available to take away costly woes of vacationing and put some freedom back into your lifestyle.

Preferred Guest Resorts (PGR) works in conjunction with a number of other companies to make affordable vacations a more tangible component of working professionals’ lifestyles. The company has representatives at seemingly every corner of the globe: from Singapore to Spain and Australia to Brazil, travel seekers across the map can contact their respective PGR consultant and start planning their dream vacation package at a fraction of the cost most travelers would find themselves paying.


Say your kids have been hearing stories about their local friends’ outing to Walt Disney World and have been hounding you about a similar vacation ever since. Now, depending on their location, a lot of parents would probably do the numbers and realize this could potentially reach thousands of dollars in travel and lodging costs – not to mention entertainment expenses as well.

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Luckily PGR has a number of partnerships with holiday household names (Walt Disney World Resort being one of them), and qualifying guests can receive free accommodations for 4 days and 3 nights in Orlando, plus 3 days and 2 nights in Daytona Beach when they rent a car through PGR (likely with partnering affiliates like Alamo, Enterprise, or National car rental companies). Guests simply have to attend a fun, educational and interactive 90-minute presentation by a representative of the company sponsoring the promotional vacation.

Probably sounds easy, cost-effective, and overall an enjoyable experience because it actually is.

To learn more about Preferred Guest Resorts and the many exclusive vacation ownership packages they have to offer their customers at highly-coveted vacation destinations, visit their website today and map your path towards a healthier and more rewarding holiday-filled lifestyle.

A packing checklist for the next vacation

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Often, people forget something or pack wrong when they leave for a vacation. The forgotten or mispacked items can range from the hilarious (bringing a swimsuit to Alaska) to disastrous (leaving money or important documents behind). While these mistakes make amusing anecdotes for Twitter or Facebook, it is more important that the vacation experience should be seamless and go by without a hitch.

That is why it is recommended that the prospective traveler create a packing checklist before setting out for any destination. Take note that the following suggestions for faultless packing should be used a guide and are not meant to be the be-all, end-all list.

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Passports and Visas. International travel has a lot of requirements, least of which are a valid passport and visa. Typically, the passport has to be valid for at least six months or more from the departure date. If this requirement is not met, it must be renewed immediately. Visas are also needed depending on the destination, duration, and purpose of the trip. Of all the things to pack, these two items must be the first to be included.

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Voltage converter. In addition to the standard toiletries, clothing, and other amenities, most people pack electronic items. However, they seldom remember to include adapters. To avoid stress associated with being powerless to connect, it is recommended that the traveller carry a set of different, internationally recognized adapters. There are many types available that can be found in online stores.

Lastly, while it is essential to properly pack for the next vacation, it is more important to leave several important documents behind for use of family and friends to locate the traveler's whereabouts and have contact information on hand in case of emergency. These documents include a copy of the individual’s itinerary, flight and hotel details, and tour excursion information.

Book an affordable vacation today by following this PGR Destination Twitter page.