Singapore Among Top 7 Most Vacation-Deprived Markets Globally – Expedia.com.sg Study
2017 Vacation Deprivation® Study also found that six in 10 Singaporeans feel vacation-deprived and close to half take fewer days of annual leave than the amount they receive, despite local employers being supportive of vacations
Singapore, 23 February 2018 – Expedia.com.sg today released findings from the 2017 edition of the Vacation Deprivation® Study, an annual survey that looks at the vacation habits of more than 15,000 working adults across 30 countries globally. Incorporating insights from 300 full-time working adults in Singapore, the study found that six in 10 Singaporeans (57 percent) feel that they are deprived of vacations, putting the nation among the top seven most vacation-deprived markets globally. The 2017 study also revealed that close to half (47 percent) of the Singaporeans surveyed take fewer days of annual leave than the amount they receive in a year, higher than the 41 percent who did so in the 2016 study.
Vacation deprivation on the rise across the globe, Asia-Pacific leads the pack
According to study, vacation deprivation is on the rise all across the globe, with 53 percent of full-time working adults globally feeling vacation-deprived in 2017, an increase from 49 percent in 2016. However, when compared against the Americas and Europe, Asia Pacific leads the pack as the most vacation-deprived region, with South Korea topping the list as the most vacation-deprived country with 81 percent of full-time working adults feeling deprived of vacations.
Figure 1. Percentage of full-time working adults who feel vacation-deprived in 30 markets globally
Looking at the trends across industry sectors, the marketing & media and food & beverage industries – industries that are known for tight deadlines and long working hours – emerged as the two most vacation-deprived industries globally. 66 percent of workers in the marketing & media industry and 62 percent of workers in food & beverage industry globally agree that they are vacation-deprived, contrasting against the 47 percent and the 49 percent recorded in the two least vacation-deprived sectors – education and government – respectively.
Singapore employers supportive of vacations, but employees still take less than given amount of annual leave
Diving deeper into the reasons behind the feeling of vacation deprivation among Singaporean workers, the study revealed that close to half (47 percent) of full-time workers in Singapore take fewer days of annual leave than the amount they receive – for reasons that did not stem from the lack of support from their employers.
In fact, six in 10 Singaporeans (57 percent) agree that their employers are supportive of them going on vacations, yet on average, employees in Singapore take 14 days of annual leave a year, less than the 15 days of annual leave they receive on average. This was largely the result of:
Employees’ desire to save their leave in case something comes up in the future (45 percent)
Employees’ work schedules do not allow for vacation / insufficient resources to cover the work (37 percent)
Difficulty in coordinating time to take a vacation that works with family / partner / friend (30 percent)
Employees’ desire to carry their leave over to the next year for a longer vacation (30 percent)
Regular vacations key to Singapore employees’ personal and professional well-being
When asked about the benefits of taking regular vacations, 53 percent of Singaporeans agree that vacations are important for their general health and well-being, 44 percent agree that they are important for their relationship with their significant other and 41 percent agree that they help them feel better connected to friends and family.
In terms of professional benefits:
66 percent of Singaporeans agree that they come back from vacations more relaxed;
45 percent return more focused;
44 percent become more productive;
41 percent return with a better attitude; and
36 percent return with the ability to think more holistically.
[quote align=’right’]”Employers in Singapore are largely supportive of employees going on vacations, it was interesting to see that almost half of employees still do not take advantage of their full annual leave allocation.” – Simon Fiquet [/quote]
“In a fast-paced city like Singapore, travel is fast becoming a necessity for one’s personal and professional well-being.
While Expedia.com.sg’s 2017 Vacation Deprivation® Study revealed that employers in Singapore are largely supportive of employees going on vacations, it was interesting to see that almost half of employees still do not take advantage of their full annual leave allocation.
As Singapore accelerates its transformation into a smart and digital economy, it is important that workers take time out to plan for regular and meaningful vacations, in order to support a positive, healthy life in the long run.
At Expedia, we put in tremendous effort to make travel simple and affordable, to help people go places and gain new perspectives and experiences. With the 2018 public holidays and long weekend travel calendar already planned out, this can help Singaporeans to maximise their leave, and go on more vacations to boost their personal and professional well-being,” said Simon Fiquet, General Manager for Southeast Asia and India, Expedia.
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About the 2017 Vacation Deprivation® Study
The 2017 Vacation Deprivation® Study was conducted on behalf of Expedia.com.sg by Northstar Research Partners in September 2017. Covering the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe using an amalgamated group of best-in-class panels, the study was conducted with over 15,000 full-time working adults in 30 markets globally. Asia Pacific markets that were featured in the study include Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and United Arab Emirates (UAE). In Singapore, about 300 working adults were included in the study.
About Expedia.com.sg
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For more information, please contact:
Lavinia Rajaram
Expedia Asia
(65) 8428 0079