When it comes to taking vacations, nearly six in 10 Canadians (58%) claim to be “vacation deprived,” according to a new consumer survey. That’s an increase from 2023, but still less than our neighbours south of the border, where 65% of people say they don’t take enough time off.

Canadians, according to the Vacation Deprivation Report conducted by Expedia, also average seven more vacation days annually than Americans.

Despite this, less than half (45%) of Canadians used all their vacation days in 2023 and only a quarter have already booked or taken vacation in the current year.  Atlantic Canada takes least amount of vacation days, while Québec takes most annually.

Expedia’s annual report has been analyzing time-off trends around the world for 24 years. This year, the study concludes: “With rates down in many other parts of the world, it’s clear working adults in North America could benefit from adopting some of the time-off strategies and attitudes in other countries.”

Lessons in leisure

• The 2024 report found that American and Japanese workers take a similar number of days off each year (11 and 12 respectively), but surprisingly Japan boasts the lowest vacation deprivation levels in the world (53%).
• France and Hong Kong take nearly a month off annually while Americans struggle to use up just 12 days. And, compared to the rest of the world, Canadians are slightly more likely to go a year or more between vacations (21% vs. 18% globally).
• For Canadians, hoarding time off in case of an emergency was the number one reason vacation days were left on the table last year, whereas American’s felt life was too busy to plan or take vacation.

“We may not be able to control how many days off we get, but the research begs the question: What can we learn from other countries that will help Canadians use their time off to the fullest extent,” said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group brands public relations. “In Japan, people take time off every month instead of just twice a year. For the French, a full month of vacation still doesn’t feel like enough time. Clearly there’s a lot to borrow from, whether it’s spreading your PTO throughout the year or prioritizing rest on your next vacation.”

Global holiday habits

Japan

Takeaways from the least vacation-deprived country in the world:

• Make weekends count: Japanese respondents are almost seven times more likely to vacation monthly compared to Canadian workers (32% vs. 5%), despite only taking 12 days annually (compared to Canadians 18). Their strategy: Take advantage of federal holidays or office and school closures to schedule frequent, short getaways that allow for a break from the routine and a quick refresh between longer trips, without dipping into precious PTO.
• Prioritize R&R: It’s tempting to pack as much as possible into a week away. Canadians rank lower in terms of prioritizing rest and relaxation during their trips (65%), while it’s the number one goal for 84% of Japanese travellers, perhaps contributing to lower feelings of deprivation.

France

No one vacations quite like the French, taking the most days off of any country globally. Here’s their formula:

• Spread it out: One in five Canadians (20%) didn’t use all their time off in 2023 because they were saving up for a big trip, then often ended up leaving days unused. French respondents, on the other hand, tend to shy away from the “big trip,” with nearly a third (30%) opting to spread their days out evenly throughout the year instead. Taking the pressure off a big annual trip can be a time, money and PTO saver for deprived Canadian travellers.

Other international time-out champions

Hong Kong was the only market where respondents didn’t leave vacation days unused but instead took more time off, on average, than they were allocated. Looking ahead, 15% vow to do it again in 2024 (the highest globally, with Canada at 12%).

Coming in as the most vacation-deprived nation this year (84%), German travellers are motivated to make a change and are more determined than ever to use all their time off in 2024 (77% vs. 54% of Canadians.).

“No one means to leave vacation days behind, but life gets busy and it’s the research, planning and booking part that slows us down,” says Fish.

Vacation Deprivation Report:

Expedia first commissioned Vacation Deprivation in the year 2000 to examine the work-life balance of people worldwide. The annual study is currently in its 24th year and was conducted online among 11,580 respondents across the US, UK, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.