Whether it’s a quick trip to the beach or a week of exploring a new destination, a well-planned vacation can help recharge your mental and physical batteries. Fortunately, even the busiest workers can find the time to create a budget-friendly, well-researched trip itinerary that’s bound to be a success.
A work from home vacation planner performs virtual travel agent and sales duties to assist customers with the design of their trips. Some remote vacation planners work for large companies, such as cruise lines and theme parks, where their responsibilities involve helping plan trips to particular destinations. Other virtual vacation planners work on a freelance basis developing unique itineraries for each customer.
Step 1: Figure out your vacation pool. Determine how many days of paid time off you have available for the year, then start planning around those dates. It’s helpful to get a 1-page calendar that displays the entire year so you can see how your vacation days line up. Circle holidays that your company observes and any other major commitments, such as birthdays or wedding anniversary celebrations.
Consider peak travel times, such as the summer and the weeks surrounding Christmas and other holidays. Generally, these periods are more expensive and more crowded, so avoid them if you can.
Make sure you’re not overestimating how long a vacation is going to take. A long weekend can recharge your batteries, but a full week is more restorative, and it’s actually easier to get the time off from work than you might think. One-week vacations are not uncommon overseas, with suggestions including Patagonia, Granada and Slovenia. Thrillist lists some great overlooked destinations in the United States, such as northern New Mexico, Door County, Wisconsin (the “Cape Cod of the Midwest”) and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Step 2: Piggyback on other days of paid leave. As the holidays approach, look for opportunities to combine your paid vacation days with those of your coworkers. By doing so, you’ll be able to take off longer, more restorative vacations without sacrificing any of your own personal time. For example, July 4 falls on a Thursday this year. Take off the day before and after, and you have a five-day vacation.
Set expectations for vacations during the hiring and onboarding process. Specify the peak work periods during which vacation requests may be difficult to grant, and encourage employees to share their intentions early on so you can assess availability and plan accordingly. Having the right vacation planning strategy is a critical part of creating a successful work environment, and it also helps reduce employee burnout. It’s much more effective to give a clear understanding of your vacation policy and expectations than to let your workforce suffer through a buildup of unnecessary stress that could threaten productivity.