Percentage of inbound tourist travel to the United States that is represented by travelers from Canada, Mexico, Japan, China and the United Kingdom, according to a study by PAGE Destinations: 65

Ranks of shopping, theme parks, historic landmarks, museums and sightseeing tours on the list of the top five drivers for international visitors to America: 1, 2, 3, 4 (tie)

Of 54 attractions, ranks of Disney World, Disneyland and the Statue of Liberty on the list of American icons that at least two-thirds of foreign travelers are familiar with: 1, 2 (tie)

Source: PAGE Destinations.

Percentage of Americans who say they use a public restroom one to five times a week, according to the annual hand-washing survey conducted by Bradley Corp.: 60

Ranks of check their appearance, blow their nose or cough, "get away," use their cellphone and change clothes on the list of things Americans do in a public restroom besides using the toilet and washing their hands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Percentage who go for respite -- a mental health break, to avoid someone, hide and even cry: 33

Source: Bradley Corp.

Percentage of airline travelers who said they've helped someone lift their luggage into the overhead compartment, according to a survey by Expedia: 48

Percentage who believe you should almost always step in to help another passenger struggling with a heavy bag: 41

Percentage of Americans who have helped entertain other travelers' children: 21

Percentage who are willing to change their seats so members of another party can sit together: 42

Source: Expedia.

Percentage of Americans who have tried to get in shape before reaching their vacation destination, according to a study commissioned by Planet Fitness: 66

Percentage who say they would not have gone on the vacation had they not exercised prior: 28

Ranks of feeling judged, and anxious or nervous when around others on the list of sentiments experienced when spending time at the beach: 1, 2

Source: Planet Fitness Inc.

Percentage of nonprofit employees who are both satisfied in their current roles at their organizations and aligned with leadership in their vision for the future, according to research by Classy: 84

Percentage of American workers who report that they were satisfied with their jobs, according to The Conference Board's latest annual survey, conducted in 2018: 51

Source: Classy/The Conference Board.

Number of states (plus Washington, D.C.) that chose broccoli as their favorite vegetable, according to a survey by Green Giant: 38

Rank of cauliflower in Montana: 1

Rank of the potato in Arkansas -- compared to five states that chose it in 2018: 1

Source: Green Giant.

Percentage of Americans who incorrectly think their homes are safe havens, when, in fact, 75% of preventable incidents -- commonly known as "accidents" -- happen at home, according to a National Safety Council survey: 77

Percentage of people who have been directly impacted by preventable deaths: 40

Percentage of respondents who believe that the U.S. can eliminate most or all "accidental" deaths: 49

Source: National Safety Council.

Percentage of workers who are concerned that artificial intelligence and automation will have a negative impact on their job, according to a Robert Half report: 12

Percentage who believe new technologies will have a positive effect: 39

Percentage of managers who think it will be challenging to get their staff up to speed on new technologies: 82

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Ranks of clothes, money and food on the list of the primary ways that the public has donated to help others in the past year, according to a 2019 survey conducted on behalf of the Red Cross: 1, 2, 3

Percentage of people in the U.S. who give blood: 3

Percentage of the public who has never considered that blood may not be available when a loved one needs it: 33

Just last month, number of units of type O blood the Red Cross had available for every 100,000 people, though more than twice that is needed every day: 6

Source: American Red Cross.

Percentage of Americans who are concerned about a criminal attack causing physical harm at large-scale events, according to the 2019 Unisys Security Index: 83

Percentage who say they have canceled plans or considered canceling plans to attend large-scale public events due to concerns about physical attacks and the safety of their personal data: 22

Source: Unisys.

"It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half of the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen." -- Herodotus, The Histories

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of Americans who would voluntarily go into debt to pay for their child's college education, with the average person willing to take on $31,000 in debt, according to a survey from Country Financial: 56

Percentage who believe it's important to have a college degree when looking for a job: 75

Percentage who believe a college degree is worth the investment: 65

Source: Country Financial.

Percentage of newly trained physicians who said they received 51 or more job solicitations during their training, while 45 percent received 100 or more: 66

Percentage who said they were contacted too many times by recruiters: 64

Source: Merritt, Hawkins and Associates.

Percentage of people who said that passengers donning extra clothes to avoid fees charged for overweight baggage is not an acceptable practice, according to a survey conducted by The GO Group: 42

Percentage of respondents who admitted to having layered on extra clothes rather than pay: 6

Source: The GO Group.

Percentage of bridesmaids and maids of honor who felt pressured to spend money on bridal party-related expenses, according to a CompareCards survey: 58 and 61, respectively

Percentage who say the financial pressure strained their relationship with the bride: 32 and 42, respectively

Percentage of groomsmen and best men who said the same: 43 and 50, respectively

Source: CompareCards.

Percentage of Americans who did not take a leisure trip longer than four nights in the last year, with millennials leading this "micro-cation" trend, according to the 2019 Vacation Confidence Index released by Allianz Global Assistance: 57

Percentage of Americans who said their longest trip in the last year was three to four nights, while 11 percent took no trips longer than just one to two nights: 18

Percentage of the general population who said they took at least three micro-cations in the last year: 25

Source: Allianz Global Assistance.

Percentage of Americans who don't think about what they're going to eat for lunch until they realize they're hungry, according to a survey by the California Walnut Board and Commission: 53

Of those, percentage who choose to eat foods that give them energy to power through the day: 27

Of those who bring their own lunch, percentage who said they eat fruits and vegetables: 54

Percentage who bring a salad: 50

Source: California Walnut Board.

Percentage of American pet parents who believe that having pets in the workplace would benefit company culture, according to a survey from Wellness Natural Pet Food: 65

Percentage who believe that pets would diffuse a stressful situation in the workplace: 75

Percentage who feel they would get to know their colleagues better if there were pets present: 59

Source: Wellness Natural Pet Food.

Percentage of Americans who say that they would rather open a small business than retire (if money or health were not a factor later in life), according to a UPS Store survey: 54

Percentage of Americans who say they have hoped their child or a child they know would grow up and start their own business: 62

Among survey respondents who are also small business owners, percentage who say the same: 81

Source: UPS Store.

Percentage of consumers who admit blowing their budgets while online shopping in the past six months, according to research from CouponFollow: 42

Percentage who reported they'd gone into debt in the past six months due to online purchases: 29

Source: CouponFollow.

Percentage of people who indicated they will take at least one solo vacation this year, according to a nationwide survey by Princess Cruises: 36

Source: Princess Cruises.

Idle Thought

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." -- Plato

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of workers who plan to work after they retire, including 41% who plan to work part time and 14% full time, according to the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies: 55

Among workers planning to work in retirement past age 65, percentage who plan to do so for financial reasons: 80

Percentage of workers who envision a phased transition into retirement: 44

Source: TransAmerica Center for Retirement Studies.

Percentage of managers who don't think negative online employer reviews significantly impact their ability to recruit top candidates, according to a survey by Randstad: 66

Percentage of employees who say they won't even apply to a company with negative reviews: 57

Source: Randstad.

Percentage of grandparents who would accept an LGBT grandchild, according to research by AARP: 87

Percentage who have grandchildren of mixed or different race/ethnicity: 34

Percentage who say their relationships with their grandchild(ren) is good for their mental well-being: 89

Source: AARP.

Percentage of pet parents who allow their dog on their furniture, according to a survey commissioned by Merrick Pet Care: 73

Percentage who let their dog sleep in their bed: 66

Source: Merrick Pet Care Inc.

Percentage increase in buttock augmentation in the last five years, with more than $100 million spent in 2018, according to data from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery: 61

Source: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Percentage of business travelers married or in a relationship who prefer to sleep in a hotel bed they have all to themselves the night before a big meeting, according to a La Quinta Means Business survey: 43

Percentage who say drinking coffee or tea is one of the most important ways to prepare for work while traveling: 34

Percentage who have stocked up on food from the hotel breakfast bar to eat later in the day: 79

Source: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.

Percentage of employers who fear how flexible working -- the flexibility to work outside a company's main location --- may impact the overall company culture, according to research conducted by IWG: 43

From an employee's point of view, percentage of people who would say that flexible working is so important they would prioritize it over having a more prestigious role: 35

Source: IWG.

During this past year alone, number of Americans who admitted that they have been talked about behind their back inside a gym, according to a study commissioned by Planet Fitness: 16 million

Number who have been insulted to their face: 10 million

Percentage of Americans who would do something to make sure they had an area of their gym that was completely free from judgment: 54

Source: Planet Fitness Inc.

If given $25,000 tomorrow, percentage of millennials who would put this newfound money toward a down payment for a new home or pay off a mortgage, according to the latest Country Financial Security Index: 26

Percentage who would use it to pay off their credit card debts: 17

Percentage who would pay off their student loan debts: 16

By contrast, percentage of Americans between the ages of 35 and 49 who would rather pay off their credit card debt: 33

Percentage of this age group who would invest it: 20

Source: Country Financial.

Percentage of adults who say the reliability of their current automobile is the biggest factor leading to their decision to purchase or lease a new vehicle, according to a PenFed Auto Financing Survey: 41

Ranks of reliability and price of the automobile on the list of reasons that factor into their decision to buy or lease a specific model: 1, 2

Source: PenFed Credit Union.

When asked the first thing they would save if their house was burning down, percentage of millennials who identified photos, scrapbooks and memorabilia, compared to only 11% who said their cellphone, according to a survey conducted by the American Association of Endodontists: 21

Source: American Association of Endodontists.

Idle Thought

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear -- not absence of fear." -- Mark Twain

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)