April brings two things into focus at the same time: a shift in season, and a shift in mindset. As the weather improves, many employees start thinking about getting away, whether that means a long weekend, a spring trip, or something more planned out later in the year.
At the same time, April is Earth Month – which introduces a different layer to those decisions. Travel is no longer just about where to go, but how to do it more thoughtfully.
That combination matters. Travel demand remains strong, with 47% of Americans planning to travel about the same amount in 2026 compared to 2025, 42% planning to travel more, and just 11% will be traveling less (1).
This means Earth Month Is the perfect time to rethink travel benefits for employees, and BenefitHub is here to help.
Time off is widely recognized as essential to wellbeing, but it is not always used that way in practice.
Even when employees have access to PTO, they are not always using it fully. Recent data shows that employees still leave a significant portion of their time off unused, with nearly three full work weeks of PTO going untaken on average (2).
Research continues to show that taking time off is linked to better wellbeing, stronger job satisfaction, and improved productivity. Travel, in particular, plays a role because it creates separation from routine in a way that shorter breaks often do not.
But there is a second layer to this. Having time off is one thing. Being able to afford to use it meaningfully is another.
When travel feels out of reach financially, employees are more likely to default to staying home or using time off in ways that do not deliver the same benefits. Over time, that reduces the overall impact of PTO policies, even when they are competitive on paper.
Spring has become one of the most active travel periods of the year. Warmer weather, school breaks, and a general shift out of winter routines all contribute to increased demand.
AAA data shows that a large majority of travelers are planning trips of at least several days, reinforcing just how central travel has become to seasonal time off (3).
At the same time, how people think about travel is evolving.
Earth Month has helped bring more awareness to sustainability and intentional sight-seeing, and that is starting to show up in travel decisions. Employees are paying more attention to:
This does not mean employees are drastically changing how they travel overnight. It means they are becoming more selective.
People still want to take trips. They just want those trips to feel more intentional, and ideally, more manageable financially.
Travel is one of the most common ways employees choose to use their time off, but it is also one of the most expensive. Nearly half (49%) of Americans prioritize travel when doing their budgets and making financial decisions (1).
Flights, accommodations, transportation, and activities can add up quickly. In fact, overspending is now cited as one of the biggest challenges travelers face when planning vacations (4).
As a result, employees often scale back plans, delay travel, or opt out entirely.
This is where access becomes more important than awareness.
Most employees already understand the value of taking time off. The barrier is not knowledge. It is whether travel feels doable within their current budget.
When that barrier is reduced, behavior tends to follow!
BenefitHub supports travel in a way that fits into how employees already plan and book trips, while helping reduce some of the cost pressure that comes with it.
For many employees, the starting point is transportation. Members can access savings on flights, including promo codes that reduce costs across different fare classes.
Accommodation is often the next major consideration. BenefitHub offers access to reduced rates across a wide range of hotel brands, helping employees find options that suit different types of trips, from short stays to longer getaways.
Activities also drive costs. During Earth Month, consider experiences that connect people to nature, such as zoo visits, aquariums, or national park tours. BenefitHub members can access discounted tickets to these kinds of experiences, making them easier to include in travel plans. Platforms like Tiqets open up access to local attractions and tours, which can support more experience-focused travel.
For those planning more structured travel, there are also opportunities to save on cruises and packaged experiences, making it easier to plan trips that would otherwise feel out of reach.
Transportation on the ground is another piece of the puzzle. Discounted rates on car rentals help employees move more freely once they arrive at their destination, without adding significant cost.
Even smaller details, like luggage, can play a role. Access to offers on brands such as Samsonite, ROAM, and Travelpro helps reduce the cost of preparing for travel in the first place.
Individually, these savings may seem incremental. Together, they make travel feel more manageable and more repeatable.
For HR teams, supporting employee wellbeing often comes down to balancing impact with practicality.
Travel sits at an interesting intersection of both. It is strongly tied to wellbeing, but it is also shaped by factors outside of traditional benefits programs, including cost, access, and convenience.
That is what makes platforms like BenefitHub useful.
These employee perks do not replace broader wellbeing strategies or PTO policies. Instead, they strengthen them by helping employees act on intentions that already exist.
When employees can more easily afford to travel, they are more likely to.
Over time, that contributes to a stronger overall employee experience.
Travel does not need to be extravagant to be meaningful. In many cases, it is the ability to step away, experience something different, and return with a reset perspective that matters most.
This Earth Month, the opportunity for employers is not just to encourage time off, but to make it easier for employees to use that time in a way that feels achievable.
BenefitHub supports that by helping reduce the cost of travel across flights, hotels, transportation, and experiences, while also opening the door to more thoughtful, experience-driven trips.
If you are already a member, log into the platform to explore your perks. If you are not yet a customer, connect with us to learn how BenefitHub can support your employees or members.
Sources:
All merchants listed were accurate at the time of publication but are subject to change at any time.