(NAPSI)—When it comes to vacationing, Americans have commitment issues.

The vacation situation in America is looking dire. According to the U.S. Travel Association, on average, workers are leaving nearly five paid vacation days on the table—that’s almost an entire week of time spent with family and friends or investing in yourself.

The situation continues to get worse. In 2000, the average worker took 20.9 vacation days. Today, workers are down to just 16, losing almost a whole week in just 15 years’ time.

There’s a list of reasons Americans aren’t traveling, including tightened budgets, work responsibilities and school schedules. Some of these reasons, though, can be addressed simply by planning ahead and committing to taking time off each and every year.

One great way to commit to travel is to purchase a timeshare. Becoming a vacation owner means you are planning on years of travel—which takes away some of the pressure of booking a trip. Many timeshare owners also report spending less on accommodations over the course of several years.

The proof of this concept is in the stats. According to a study conducted by Phocuswright, 41.8 percent of vacation owners had taken a leisurely trip with the family, including children, in the past 12 months. Comparatively, only 30.4 percent of those who are not vacation owners had done so.

If you’re looking to awaken your romantic relationship, vacation ownership can be the answer there, too. The study showed that approximately 63 percent of vacation owners had taken a leisurely trip in the past 12 months with one other individual or as a couple, which was higher than the nonowners at 55 percent.

If you think that timeshare means you have to go to the same place every year, you may want to give the product another look, as ownership has become quite flexible. Most properties are also affiliated with a vacation exchange program, such as RCI, that lets you trade your time for resort stays in locations all over the world.

Such vacation exchange programs prove to be incredibly beneficial if you are looking to explore new and exciting destinations. In fact, the Phocuswright study showed that vacation owners are more likely to travel internationally, with 57.8 percent of respondents reporting they had traveled abroad for their most recent trip, which is significantly higher than the 24.7 percent of non-vacation owners who reported the same.

If you still have a fear of commitment, you can try out timeshare accommodations by renting them for one-off vacations through sites such as EndlessVacationRentals.com. If you do decide that this type of accommodation works well for your family, don’t be afraid to commit.

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)