PETALING JAYA, March 29 — Malaysians are not taking enough holidays, according to a recent study by travel tech company Brand Expedia.
The 2018 Vacation Deprivation Study revealed that more than 67 per cent of Malaysians are vacation deprived and the country was ranked the fourth most vacation deprived across the globe.
On top of the list is India followed by South Korea and Hong Kong.
Malaysian millennials from the ages of 18 to 34 are the most vacation deprived of the lot at 17 per cent.
Thirty-four per cent of Malaysians haven’t been on a vacation for the past six months and those surveyed said affordability was the main factor while planning a vacation with 27 per cent of respondents said they felt the need to save up on their leave for a long holiday.
“One of the leading reasons people don’t use their vacation time is because they’re saving them for a big trip which means they’re going longer between vacations,” says Brand Expedia regional head of communications Lavinia Rajaram.
“Bigger trips are great, but even a quick break can drastically improve quality of life. Aim to schedule a staycation or add an extra day onto a holiday weekend in between longer trips to get the best of both worlds.”
When they do get to enjoy that well-earned holiday, Malaysians surveyed said they felt guilty about leaving their work behind.
The number of Malaysians who felt guilty rose by two per cent compared to 2017’s results.
At least 28 per cent checked work-related emails and messages at least once a day during vacation and 64 per cent said they have even cancelled their holidays because of work.
Compared to the global average of 2.3 days taken for mental health wellbeing, Malaysians on average took 3.5 days.
The benefits of a holiday were reflected in 55 per cent of Malaysians who claimed to observe a more positive attitude to work while 49 per cent felt more relaxed and focused.
With more than half of the global workforce (54 per cent) taking at least one mental health day in the last year, 60 per cent of Malaysians still classified mental health day as a vacation day instead of a sick day.
“We spend a lot of our waking time at work, and it is absolutely important that we think about our mental well-being.
“The short-term gains for giving oneself a break — even if it’s one day out of the office — can make a big difference in terms of reestablishing a better sense of well-being,” said Lavinia.
The majority of respondents (84 per cent) agreed that regular vacations were important for general health and personal wellbeing.
The same percentage cited mental wellness as their reason for regular vacations.
Other key highlights from the study include:
- Not everyone can jump straight into holiday mode the second they are on leave. Malaysian respondents said it took them two to three days to feel relaxed after taking a vacation.
- Only 39 per cent of Malaysians fully utilise their annual leave, 61 per cent took fewer days than what they were entitled to.
- Globally, the agriculture industry displayed an increase in feelings of deprivation when it comes to holidays at 71 per cent, overtaking industries such as marketing and media at 67 per cent, and food and beverage at 64 per cent. Affordability and work commitment were cited as major reasons.
- On the other end of the spectrum, the least vacation deprived industry was education (53 per cent) and the government sector (49 per cent).
The annual 2018 Vacation Deprivation Study from Brand Expedia was conducted online across North America, Europe, South American and Asia-Pacific.
More than 11,000 employees across 19 countries were surveyed for their vacation habits.
