2023 Vacation Deprivation Report: Why workers feel more vacation deprived now

Feeling like you just really need a holiday—like you work too much and have too little time off? Chances are you’re one of the many Americans who considers themselves vacation deprived. In fact, according to Expedia’s 23rd annual Vacation Deprivation Report, global vacation deprivation levels are the highest they’ve been in 10 years.

Vacation deprivation rates this year (63%) are nearly on par with 2021 (64%), when Americans were still reeling from lockdowns and travel restrictions, and nearly half (45%) of Americans left vacation days on the table in 2022.

The biggest factor at play, which may come as a surprise to no one, is financial. Travelers are weighing the desire for their next trip with worry over a possible recession, and workplace labor shortages, travel disruptions and planning pain are also contributing to the global increase in feelings of deprivation.

Despite the barriers, Americans are on a path to reduce vacation deprivation in 2023. Nine-out-of-10 vacation deprived Americans say they see regular vacations as a basic right, and a whopping 81% of travelers globally intend to travel the same amount or more in 2023.

To help vacation deprived Americans reclaim their time off, here are Expedia’s top five tips to help you get on your way:

Work smarter, not harder, when planning your next trip: For the travel planner in the group, Expedia’s new trip planning boards, launching on the Expedia app in June 2023, are made to make your life a whole lot easier. This collaborative tool takes the stress out of trip planning by allowing groups of travelers to plan the perfect trip together.

Feel confident knowing you’ve got the best travel deal: Handy new Expedia tools including Price Tracking & Predictions can help guarantee you’re getting a great deal by tracking flights on the Expedia app. Or add Price Drop Protection to your flight booking, which automatically refunds you if the price drops after you book.
Spend your travel dollars wisely: The sweet spot to save about 8% on domestic airfare is 21 to 60 days out while Americans planning summer trips abroad should book as soon as possible for the best rates. Plus, by bundling your travel by booking your airfare, hotel and car at the same time on Expedia, you can instantly unlock savings.

Don’t risk leaving money on the table: Expedia members earn Rewards points for every booking that can be redeemed as dollars off on the next trip. By entering mileage plan numbers at checkout, travelers can also earn their airline miles on top of Expedia points, which is an easy way to double-dip and rack up travel rewards even faster.

Anticipate travel disruptions: Demand is high, and airlines are still operating fewer flights than pre-pandemic. That means full flights are expected this summer, so make sure you arrive at the airport early and give yourself plenty of time to get through security. According to Expedia’s 2023 Air Travel Hacks Report, departing before 3 p.m. also cuts your chance of flight cancellation in half, so take the early flight.

To read more, download the global 2023 Vacation Deprivation Report here.

About the Report: Expedia first commissioned Vacation Deprivation in 2000 to examine the work-life balance of people worldwide. The annual study is currently in its 23rd year and was conducted online among 14,527 respondents across North and South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Commissioned from February 9 – March 3, 2023 on behalf of Expedia by Northstar Research Partners, a global strategic research firm, responses were gathered using an amalgamated group of best-in-class panels. Looking at the margin of error for the global average, a 1-4% difference is statistically significant at 90% confidence.

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