RISMEDIA, May 23, 2009-Vacation may not be in the cards for many people this summer, but a new national survey reports that Americans refuse to throw in the towel on fun, despite the state of the economy. The Dave & Buster’s Summer Fun Survey, conducted by Kelton Research, examines the outlook for fun in summer 2009 and attitudes toward vacation, fun and play. While we know that summer getaways are taking a back seat this year, the survey also revealed that the 2008 staycation trend was in need of an injection of fun for 2009. Instead, an affordable “playcation” – a staycation plus a splash of play- may be just what the doctor ordered for a dose of summer fun.
The survey found that:
-Vacations are vanishing.
-With the state of the economy looming large, it’s not surprising to learn that vacations are taking a hit in 2009.
-70% of Americans won’t be taking a vacation this summer due to the economic climate.
-In place of a vacation, nearly half of survey respondents (48%) plan to stay home and enjoy time with friends and family.
-Americans are fun-deprived
-Despite the dismal state of the economy, survey respondents recognize that fun is still important. One in three Americans say they are more in need of a dose of fun this summer than they are in need of financial relief.
-40% of people would give up their cell phones for a full week in exchange for one month filled with fun every single day; 6% of people would be willing to forgo showering; 53% would give up dessert.
-For one in three respondents, it has been more than six months since they last had a truly fun night out. In fact, 14% can’t remember the last time they had a fun night out.
-65% say they have difficulty finding affordable, fun activities to do when making plans for the summer.
