Ellen: Go ahead, travel. It’s good for you, and for us

The U.S. travel industry has recovered far faster than other economic sectors from jobs lost to the recession, and South Carolina is no exception. Domestic travelers directly spent $11.5 billion in South Carolina in 2013, directly supporting 114,000 jobs. That was up 2.3 percent from the previous yer. The Columbia region alone welcomed 4 million visitors last year, making tourism a $1 billion industry for our community.

Visitors come to Columbia from all over and for a variety of reasons. We’re all familiar with the surge of out-of-towners who descend during Masters Week and for USC home games. These events give a big boost to hotels and restaurants, but they aren’t the only things bringing visitors to town. Conventions, sporting tournaments, concerts and top-notch attractions consistently draw visitors to our beautiful region.

The Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau was responsible for more than $18 million in direct spending from visitors last year, bringing in key conventions, including Jehovah Witness’s Watchtower and the Special Forces Association’s International Convention.

The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, celebrating its tenth year in business, just welcomed its two millionth visitor to the building. Last fiscal year, the center contracted an impressive 326 events.

And the Columbia Regional Sports Council had a banner year in 2013-2014 with more than $12 million in economic impact from various sporting events, including the UCF War of the Stars cheerleading competition.

Visitors aren’t coming just for conventions and sporting events. They are coming to explore such community gems as Riverbanks Zoo, EdVenture, the Columbia Museum of Art, the State Museum and the Woodrow Wilson family home. Fishing and boating enthusiasts flock to Lake Murray. Outdoor enthusiasts come by the thousands to Congaree National Park each year.

The money spent on hotel stays, dining and attractions tickets help support jobs, increasing the quality of life for us. But tourism isn’t just about economic facts and figures. Perhaps the most important part of travel is the remarkable impact it has on our personal lives.

Couples who travel together are more likely to make it past the five-year mark and less likely to divorce, according to a survey from the U.S. Travel Association and Edge Research. The survey also found that more than 90 percent of children see family vacations as a chance for quality time with their parents. Kids who travel are also more likely to earn a college degree and have on average a $5,000 higher median income as adults. People who travel are also less stressed and happier at work.

Just the anticipation of a vacation increases positive feelings about one’s overall life.

Despite the many positive attributes of travel, Americans left 429 million days of unused vacation time on the table in 2013, the most in 40 years. We also forfeited $52.4 billion in time-off benefits. If American workers just took one more day off each year, travel would generate an extra $73 billion annually for the economy.

Given the extraordinarily positive effects of travel, shouldn’t we all seek more avenues to support not only the industry but our personal well-being?

We can all benefit from exploring some of the great museums and parks in our backyard or by planning a trip to use some of those vacation days.

Get out there and explore — and tell those you meet along the way about this special place you call home. We would love to have them come visit us.

This story was originally published May 11, 2015 at 12:07 AM with the headline "Ellen: Go ahead, travel. It’s good for you, and for us."