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Respondents in Hong Kong (85%) and Singapore (84%) were also the most likely to wish their employers would alter their time-off policies.
With borders open and the return of travel, Expedia's just-released 2023 Vacation Deprivation Study saw an improvement in Singapore's ranking as a vacation-deprived market in 2023.
In particular, Singapore ranked the 11th most vacation-deprived market out of 16 markets studied, an improvement from third place in 2022. That said, a substantial percentage (58%) of adults surveyed in Singapore in February and March this year reported feeling vacation deprived – albeit lower than in 2021 (69%).
Among the 16 markets – which included Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, France, the UK, New Zealand, and more, Singapore stood in between Hong Kong (61%) and Canada (57%).
On a global average, 62% of working adults said they were vacation deprived, up from 58% in 2022, with Mexico leading the way (77%).
Employees who say they are vacation deprived, by industry & generation
By industry, employees in the airline/airport industry, as well as the agriculture industry, stood out as the most deprived of vacations (74% respectively). This was followed by those in oil & gas and food manufacturing (67% each), and natural resources & mining (66%). On the other hand, retail workers seemed to be the least vacation-deprived of the lot (56%).
The report also took a generational breakdown, in which respondents in the Gen Z category were the most vacation-deprived (73%), significantly higher than those in the Baby Boomer category (43%) – in line with previous years' trends. Meanwhile, 66% of Millennial respondents and 58% of Gen X respondents reported so.
Taking time off
According to the findings, respondents in France and Germany received the most holidays in 2022, while those in Japan and Hong Kong took the most time off – taking an average of four additional days on top of what they were allotted.
- Japan: 26 days out of 22 days
- Hong Kong: 25.5 days out of 21.5 days
- Germany: 24.5 out of 28.5 days
- France: 23 out of 28.5 days
- The UK: 22 out of 26 days
- New Zealand: 21.5 out of 25 days
- Australia: 18 out of 21.5 days
- Canada: 17 out of 19 days
- Singapore: 14.5 out of 17 days
- Mexico: 12.5 out of 13.5 days
- The US: 11 out of 12.5 days
Alongside the above, further highlights in the findings include:
- An average of 53% of respondents across the 16 markets go six to 12 months, or more, between their holidays. By market, this comprises 71% of those in Australia, 69% of those in Mexica, and 62% of those in America.
- In Japan, respondents were four times more likely to holiday every month, compared to the rest of the world (39% vs 9%).
Shortage of staff cited among the top barriers to travel
Overall, the respondents cited five common barriers to travel: Time & money, workplace & staffing, the global impact of inflation on travel, travel disruptions, and having to use holiday time for obligations.
Looking at workplace & staffing, with their workplace/industry battling staff and labour shortages, 56% of respondents have found it difficult to take a break. Markets that cited this the most were:
- Mexico (67%)
- Hong Kong (64%)
- The US (58%)
While those that cited it the least were:
- Germany (46%)
- The UK (51%)
- Canada (51%)
Coming to the point on using holiday time for obligations, 65% said they used at least one day of holiday for personal appointments in 2022, while 56% used an average of almost two days in lieu of sick days.
At the same time, at least one or more days of holiday were also used for:
- Home improvement projects (50%)
- Taking care of children (48%)
- Mental health days (47%)
"More flexibility and time off, please?"
Unsurprisingly, when asked what they wanted more of from their employers, most respondents cited flexibility and time off.
Looking at time off, for instance, 70% of those who were vacation-deprived wished their employers would alter their time-off policies, with those in Hong Kong (85%) and Singapore (84%) feeling most strongly about it.
Among other desires, respondents also sought a four-day workweek, with 82% indicating so. Of these, close to three in 10 (29%) said it would give them more time to travel, while 39% said they would love the additional free time for personal appointments and projects – freeing up their paid leave days for travel.
By market, Hong Kong had the most number of respondents who wanted this (93%), followed by Mexico (85%), and Australia (84%).
The 2023 Vacation Deprivation Study polled more than 14,500 people across 16 markets including Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, with 500 respondents from Singapore.
ALSO READ: 61% of employees surveyed in Hong Kong, and 58% in Singapore say they are vacation-deprived
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Photo: Shutterstock
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