The marine industry is learning more about how Americans spend their leisure time and what to do as an industry to capture them.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association is partnering with the U.S. Travel Association as a Project Time Off coalition member.

NMMA staff attended a Project Time Off forum in New York in September, hearing from business leaders such as Randi Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, and The Huffington Post co-founder and editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington on reaching new audiences with messages about the importance of time off and recreational activity.

Some takeaways included:

  • 90 percent of workers believe time off helps them relax and recharge
  • 85 percent of workers say time off makes them happier
  • 77 percent of children report feeling no stress when their parents take time off to spend time with them
  • 61 percent of children want to spend quality time with parents during vacation

Recreational activities stand to gain $6.7 billion if U.S. employees take their earned time off — and that only includes recreation while traveling and does not account for people who may buy or rent boats with their time off locally.

“That is a large piece of the pie that the boating industry could enjoy if U.S. employees took advantage of their earned time off,” NMMA president Thom Dammrich said in a note to industry members. “We in the boating industry know that the water is the perfect venue for time with friends, family and children. The latest research on kids and families tells us we’re right.”

The messages will be carried over into 2016 boat shows and the industrywide campaign Discover Boating, “helping consumers understand why time off is important and why that time should be spent on the water,” Dammrich wrote.

The group is asking industry members to consider using the hashtag #TakeADay or incorporate the following posts:

  • Are we teaching our kids #workmartyr behavior? #TakeADay to show kids the upside of downtime.
  • #TakeADay and spend time on the water! Find boating hot spots with @discoverboating http://bit.ly/1OIqXDD
  • Stop looking out the window — get up and go! #TakeADay to unwind on the water and show us your best nautical hideaways.