Today’s travel plans are different from those in the past. While many families would in the past have been content to consume fast food and shop at the national brands retail stores, today’s travelers are more particular. They want to avoid fast food and find the local food spots instead. They want to hike the local trails and perhaps even avoid shopping all together. In an effort to experience an area, many of today’s travelers make sure that they step far off the beaten path and experience a place that is far from the day to day life that they live at home.

Whether it is a spa weekend with the girls or a couples getaway with your husband, it is important to make sure that you do your research before you travel again. You might decide that you want a couples massage, you might decide that you want to enjoy the weather, make sure you are eating outside as often as possible, and make sure that you check out the favorite dance spots and local food. From outdoor dining to spa treatments, today’s travelers want to make sure that they are able to enjoy their vacations and relax while they are away from home.

In a time when many Americans are working longer hours than they have in the past, it should come as no surprise that vacation days are even more valuable. And whether a couple travels alone, with their friends, or with their children, it is always important to make sure that you do your research ahead of time as well as talk to the locals about the best spots to visit.

Consider these facts about the vacation industry and the impact that these trips have on both the local and national level:

• 42% of travelers indicate that they feel more romantic while they are on vacation.
• 24% of millennials indicated that they planned to go on a romantic getaway in the year 2016, according to an AARP survey.
• 59% of people indicate that they prefer a relaxing vacation to a more active one, according to a recent international study.
• $16.3 billion was the amount of overall revenue achieved in the U.S. spa industry in the year 2015.
• 1.7 billion trips for leisure purposes were logged in the U.S. in the year 2015.
• 79% of domestic trips taken are for leisure purposes.

Weekend trips are a great way to make sure that find time to relax and reconnect with those who you travel with. From spending a long evening at an outdoor dining spot to making sure that you get yourself scheduled for a relaxing massage, it is important to enjoy the time that you have away from work. A goal that is easier to achieve if you talk to the locals, do your research, and find the hidden treasures and popular local foods where ever it is that you are traveling.