Hawaii is a vacation destination. So why aren't we using our vacation time?

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii is one of the nation's top vacation destinations. But the folks who live here are leaving lots of unused vacation days on the table.

That's according to a new survey that ranked Hawaii 31st in the nation for the number of vacation days taken, with the top state (Colorado) taking the most.

Project: Time Off, funded by the U.S. Travel Association, found that 64 percent of Hawaii residents have unused vacation days.

The average number of vacation days earned in Hawaii is 24.5. But the average number of days used is just 17.3, a hair above the national average.

By comparison, the average Colorado resident uses 20 vacation days a year.

Montana is the worst at taking vacation, with the average worker vacationing just 16.3 days a year.

"Leaving vacation days unusued has become an unfortunate national pasttime," the project said, in a news release.

So what do Hawaii residents do when they actually take a vacation?

Some 42 percent said they like to go to cold climates, and the vast majority prefer "relaxing" rather than "active" vacations.

Three-fourths also said they like to indulge on vacation.

Meanwhile, just 32 percent of Hawaii residents said they've got a work culture that encourages vacation, one of the lowest rates in the nation. And less that one third said they're able to unplug when they're away.