Can leisure time be productive? Not exactly, says the new Leisure Time Advocacy Board (LTA) put together by the Hilton Family of Hotels.  But, it can be spent so well, in the pursuit of what you really love to do, that it becomes a refreshing and rejuvenating interlude whose side effects include better health and increased productivity when you return to work. 

Sound promising? 

Well, "productivity is not the only value," says this panel of experts. In their May 2003 study done with Harris Interactive, the LTA panel discovered that travel is the favorite hobby of 27% of all Americans and that over 50% felt their children would see more of the United States and travel more internationally than they had been able to. Although 89% of those surveyed daydreamed about taking a vacation, only 55% actually take all the vacation days they are entitled to and -- even worse -- 69% felt they needed a vacation immediately!

According to Dr. Geoffrey Godbey, Professor of Leisure Studies at Penn State University, vacations are "vital to a well-balanced life. In addition to relieving stress, vacations give us clarity to make major life decisions and we gain meaningful memories during our travels." 

Hilton promises that its consumer website, www.MyLeisureTrip.com launched in March, 2004, will help travelers achieve life balance, perhaps by taking them away from TV, which survey respondents said was second in "time priority" to work and before family! By searching the site's list of more than 180,000 activities and special interest events, including sports, shopping, outdoors and entertainment, or by exploring specific destinations and events calendars,  families can plan vacations where everyone's interests are met. The site also provides descriptions and the special offers available at all of Hilton's nine hotel brands, as well as a link to the expert solutions provided by the Leisure Time Advocacy Board.