Feeling like a pilot that’s been grounded and lost their wings because you haven’t travelled in a while? That’s vacation deprivation, buddy.
It’s the thing that’s driving a bunch of Aussies to book those lavish holidays you see posted on your socials that have you screaming at your phone, “How can they afford that??”. That’s the secret captain, they can, but barely.
In December last year, Bankrate conducted a survey that confirmed that 31% of Gen Z’s have saved up nothing for retirement. The rationale for this is a sense of “financial absurdism”, a drive to live for the now.
That’s why you might see younger folks flexing material goods or gallivanting on spontaneous trips overseas.
But that doesn’t mean everyone is suddenly vacationing. Expedia just released a report that found the global vacation deprivation levels have actually reached a ten-year high.
Many are feeling their way in the dark trying to navigate inflation, workplace labour shortages and a growing schedule of side hustling, ice baths and overnight oats.
In this report, about 65% of Australians shared that they were feeling vacation deprived, a 2% increase from the previous year. Expedia noted that this statistic was at a similar level during lockdowns when it was impossible to travel, which says a lot about our work-life balance.
Some were quick to note that finances weren’t the only reason for not wanting to take a vacation. Workplace stress, travel disruptions and planning pain were serious dissuaders from people booking their trips.
If you’re feeling burnout from work, you’re not alone, 96% of workers think they deserve to take time off. After an intense few years in the workforce, and the rising cost of living expenses, it is incredibly important to find time to take a break. (Worry not, the gears of capitalism will keep turning while you’re gone!)
Make sure to give ample time and set firm boundaries with your employer about your holiday, you are legally entitled to it.
Thankfully, booking a holiday can also be done easily in a single app. Expedia’s app for instance can show travellers different airfares, accommodations, and activities.
It can also help you track the price history of your airfares and opt-in to receive alerts if prices change, helping guide you on when to book your airfares.
IOS users can also use Expedia’s new in-app travel planning experience powered by ChatGPT and have a conversation to find out places they might like to go.
It’s no lie that travelling can be expensive, so you should look for discounts and leverage reward schemes where you can!
It’s an objective fact that winter can be tough on folks. That’s why Expedia flight data is showing that winter getaways are up 250% this year, indicating everyone is expecting they’ll miss the sun as we move into Autumn.
Europe has just hit summer as well, so expect to see countless videos of people sitting in the back of a gondola in Venice, eating eccentric food at Foodhallen in Amsterdam or doing the lame Tower of Pisa photos.
But if you’re looking at your mate’s travel photos and find yourself falling to the floor like Yugioh screaming “it’s not fair!”, consider sussing the many great travel deals on offer now.
If you’d like to read Expedia’s report for yourself to find the confidence to book that holiday, click here.
