Following a year where, for many, every aspect of life – from work, school, daycare, and even vacation – was spent under one roof, 83 percent of Canadians in a recent Expedia survey say they are not only feeling vacation deprivation, but that they plan to prioritize their holiday time more than ever in 2021 while growing their bucket list of destinations while they wait.
In fact, according to Expedia’s annual Vacation Deprivation Study, Canadians plan to take an extra week (five days) of vacation this year, demonstrating a “no days left behind” mindset.
Expedia first launched the yearly study more than two decades ago in an effort to illustrate the benefits of vacation and encourage working adults to regularly unplug. In recent years, the benefits of vacation have become well-known and undisputed, yet vacation deprivation is on the rise in most nations.
But this year’s findings point to yet another shift, says Expedia – one in which workers agree they will never take their vacation days for granted again. Indeed, the majority of Canadians (83%) said they now value vacations more than ever before, which comes in slightly higher than the global average (81%).
Queue the bucket lists
Expedia’s study showed that 66% of people globally have been inspired to create a bucket list, and the longer the pandemic has continued, the longer bucket lists have become with 60% of respondents saying they continue to add to their lists.
Expedia’s study also found that people are willing to put more budget into their bucket list vacation in 2021 than originally planned (61%). Whether it’s trying a new activity, seeking out a place untravelled, reuniting with family and friends separated by distance (64% find vacation time more valuable when spending quality time with family), or simply having time to relax and recharge (54% think having the time to relax and do nothing is what makes them happiest on vacation), people want to make the most of their time.
Vacation dreaming for the future
As the hope for future travel in 2021 grows, Expedia is seeing an uptick in Canadians searching for their next bucket list spot for the back end of the year. Whether it’s a warm and sunny beach or an outdoor adventure closer to home, the below destinations topped the list for where Canadians are dreaming of going once able to do so:
• Domestic: Banff, Kelowna, Osoyoos, Canmore, Jasper, Tofino, Niagara Falls, Montreal, Revelstoke and Halifax
• International: Cancun, Maui, Las Vegas, Honolulu, London, New York, Puerto Vallarta, Maldives, Paris and Santorini.
Shifts in travel perspective
The study found that over half of respondents (63%) expressed feelings of vacation deprivation over the past year, which is an increase from the previous report (57%), and one that isn’t surprising given the year that has transpired. The study also found:
• Travel Substitutes Brought Joy: Respondents indicated that spending more time watching TV/movies (41%), more time cooking (41%) and more time spent reading (32%) were all activities that brought joy to fill the time in the absence of travel. Additionally, 82% of Canadians expressed in the interim of not being able to travel, they are looking for new ways to find happiness.
• Employer Support in Recharging Batteries: 75% of respondents feel their employer is supportive of taking vacation time.
• Taking Time Off at Home: 37% of Canadians’ last vacation involved staying at home, not travelling anywhere.
The annual study was conducted online in late 2020 among 9,200 respondents across North and South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and included 1,000 participants from Canada.