LOS ANGELES—June 2, 2014—With a recent study showing Americans do not use all of their allotted earned time off each year, the Westfield Travel Collection of Shopping Centers is offering “Shop & Stay” packages at several of their premiere centers.  The company supports the National Travel Effect Initiative which details the benefits, both personal and professional, of taking paid time off.

Forty-two percent of all American workers ended the year with earned time off, or vacation time totaling 429 million days of unused paid leave in 2013, according to the “Day Off Dividend Report,” a study based on research from Oxford Economics and recently released by the U.S. Travel Association.

In response to the study, the U.S. Travel Association launched the “Travel Effect” initiative to communicate the economic business and personal gains that take time off from work can deliver.  Shopping and dining top the list of favorite activities for travelers. 

“We are pleased that companies across industries nationwide are embracing the Travel Effect to help transform public perceptions so that personal time off in understood as not only good for your personal well-being, but also a a business investment and an economic necessity,” said Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry.  Dow added that a study by Ernst & Young shows that for each additional 10 hours of vacation that am employee takes, their performance rating increased by 8 percent.

Westfield Travel Collection centers, which are located in popular destination cities in California and Florida, are encouraging Americans to “Shop Away” by taking time off with family or friends to shop, dine, spa, attend a movie and events.  Each center provides a distinctive collection of retailers and restaurants, often times not found at home.  Stores for men, women, children and teens offer the best in fashion, beauty, home goods and gifts.  Culinary options are unlimited with an array of menus sure to satisfy every palate.  Whether traveling by car, motor coach, train or air, it's the perfect getaway for all ages to experience shopping and dining in a new destination, while enjoying the benefits of time off from work.

The Westfield Travel Collection includes Westfield San Francisco Centre and Westfield Valley Fair in the San Francisco Bay Area; Westfield Century City and the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles; Westfield Horton Plaza and Westfield UTC in San Diego and Westfield Countryside in Tampa/Clearwater, Florida.

The centers provide travelers with Passport to Savings books worth hundreds of dollars in savings on shopping and dining.  In addition, several of the centers have partnered with select hotels and offer Shop & Stay packages designed to assist busy consumers in planning a vacation getaway.

“Westfield Travel Collection centers feature Shop & Stay packages that combine the best of a destination and the nation's finest shopping experiences,” said Shawn Swanger, Vice President, Marketing.  “The packages make it easy to plan a memorable getaway and use some vacation days.”

Westfield Shop & Stay packages include first-class accommodations, fine dining, white glove service and shopping.  Spa treatments, beauty treatments, custom shaves and makeovers are just some of the activities that may be enjoyed at a Westfield Travel Collection center.  Westfield Customer Service Ambassadors are available at select centers to point out where to shop, dine and have fun at each center.  They are also knowledgeable about the area's top attractions and can make recommendations for transportation assistance, events and activities.

Visitors who went to enjoy Westfield San Francisco Centre and the must-see attractions may select from three different Shop & Stay programs.  For example, Hotel Abri, The Mosser Hotel and the Pickwick all offer guest packages that allow time for shopping, exploring and entertainment.  For a weekend in Century City in Los Angeles, there is a Shop & Stay weekend package at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.  Special discounts and entertainment discounts are part of the package.  More Shop & Stay packages are being developed by Westfield Travel Collection centers to meet the requests of today's travelers and to include shopping and dining in their vacation itineraries.

 About the Westfield Travel Collection

The Westfield Travel Collection offers visitors outstanding brand and designer shopping, café and signature dining, and seasonal entertainment experience located in a variety of key U.S. travel destinations. Specialized FIT and group programs are available upon request. The Westfield Travel Collection centers include San Francisco Centre and Valley Fair in the San Francisco Bay Area, Century City and the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Horton Plaza and UTC in San Diego and Countryside in Tampa/Clearwater, Florida.

The Westfield Group has interests in and operates one of the world's largest shopping center portfolios. This high-quality portfolio of 90 properties in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand is valued at over $70 billion and encompasses more than 20,000 retailers across nearly 95 million square feet of retail space. During the past year, Westfield worldwide welcomed more than 1 billion customer visits and registered over $40 billion in total retail sales.  In the United States, Westfield's portfolio of 38 shopping centers includes nearly 7,000 stores across 46 million square feet of retail space in the states of California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Washington. Operating also in eight major U.S. airports, Westfield is raising the bar on the traveler experience with developments at JFK, LAX, Newark, Houston Intercontinental and Chicago O'Hare airports.  http://westfieldtravelcollection.com/

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