2023 Vacation Deprivation Report: Why workers feel more vacation deprived now

Feeling like you just really need a holiday — like you work too much and have too little time off? Chances are you’re one of the many Australians who considers themselves vacation deprived. In fact, according to Expedia’s 23rd annual Vacation Deprivation Report, global vacation deprivation levels are the highest they’ve been in 10 years.

Vacation deprivation rates this year (65%) are on par with 2021 (65%), when Australians were still reeling from lockdowns and travel restrictions, and three in five (60%) of Australians left annual leave days on the table in 2022.

The biggest factor at play, which may come as a surprise to no one, is financial. Travellers are weighing the desire for their next trip with worry over a possible recession, with workplace labour shortages, travel disruptions and planning pain also contributing to the global decline.

Despite the barriers, Australians are on a path to reduce vacation deprivation in 2023. Almost all (91%) vacation deprived Australians say they see regular vacations as a basic right, and a whopping 81% of travellers globally intend to travel the same amount or more in 2023.

To help vacation deprived Australians reclaim their time off, here are Expedia’s top five tips to help you get on your way:

• Work smarter, not harder, when planning your next trip: For the travel planner in the group, Expedia’s new trip planning boards, launching on the Expedia app in June 2023, are made to make your life a whole lot easier. This collaborative tool takes the stress out of trip planning by allowing groups of travellers to plan the perfect trip together.
• Feel confident knowing you’ve got the best travel deal: Handy new Expedia tools including Price Tracking can help you get a great deal by tracking flight prices on the Expedia app.
• Spend your travel dollars wisely: The sweet spot to save on average 30% on domestic airfare is three months out, while Australians planning to travel abroad should book at least six months out for the best rates. Plus, by bundling your travel by booking your airfares, hotel and car at the same time on Expedia, you can instantly unlock savings.
• Don’t risk leaving money on the table: Expedia members earn Rewards points for every booking that can be redeemed as dollars off on the next trip. By entering your frequent flyer membership at checkout, travellers can also earn their airline miles on top of Expedia points, which is an easy way to double-dip and rack up travel rewards even faster.
• Anticipate travel disruptions: Demand is high, and airlines are still operating fewer flights than pre-pandemic. That means full flights are expected this winter, as many Australians escape the cold, so make sure you arrive at the airport early and give yourself plenty of time to get through security. According to Expedia’s 2023 Air Travel Hacks Report, departing before 3 p.m. also reduces your chance of flight cancellation, so take the early flight.

To read more, download the global 2023 Vacation Deprivation Report here.

About the Report: Expedia first commissioned Vacation Deprivation in 2000 to examine the work-life balance of people worldwide. The annual study is currently in its 23rd year and was conducted online among 14,527 respondents across North and South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Commissioned from February 9 – March 3, 2023 on behalf of Expedia by Northstar Research Partners, a global strategic research firm, responses were gathered using an amalgamated group of best-in-class panels. Looking at the margin of error for the global average, a 1-4% difference is statistically significant at 90% confidence.

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