Your next vacation is calling. All you need to do is pick up the phone.

On Jan. 26, Visit California will launch a free, limited-time hotline to help callers "brighten their outlook by planning a future road trip in the Golden State." 

Known as "The California Dream Dial," the hotline will coincide with the U.S. Travel Association's National Plan for Vacation Day on Jan. 26, which encourages Americans to plan their next vacation — be it a getaway for today, next week, next month, or next year.

"It's never too early to start planning, and we can all use something on the calendar to look forward to," Visit California President and CEO Caroline Beteta shared in a statement. "California Dream Dial is a service for visitors to begin mapping out travel plans for their dream vacation. And when it's safe to travel again, these trips will do double duty as they work to jump-start California's economic recovery."

To use the California Dream Dial, travelers first need to complete a short questionnaire, which they can do now, then make a 20-minute appointment for a call on Tuesday, Jan. 26. If unable to make an appointment, travelers can call the hotline directly at 1-833-PLAN-PTO from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. PST on Jan. 26.

The call-in service will give travelers inspirational ideas for exploring California on their future adventures. Those answering the calls will take into account each person's individual needs, desires, and travel style. And truly, this could be just the mental health break travel lovers need. Visit California pointed to polling conducted by Michelle Gielan, which found 97% of Americans say "having a trip on the calendar makes them happier." Three-fourths of those same Americans said planning a trip would make them feel more in control amid so much uncertainty.

"Booking a trip – even just getting it on the calendar – might be the very thing we need to restore our emotional immune system after months of mounting uncertainty and stress," Gielan added.

Beyond helping others, this new hotline could help the state of California too. According to Visit California, tourism accounted for $145 billion in spending in California in 2019 and supported 1.2 million jobs. Those numbers were halved in 2020 due to the pandemic, making the return to travel more imperative than ever. Make your appointment with California Dream Dial now.   

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