Indian Millennials Prefer Foreign Travel, But India is Fifth Most Vacation-Deprived Nation

By Little India Desk | December 22, 2017

India is the fifth most vacation-deprived country globally, a recent survey showed. Heavy work schedule has led to a large number of Indians unable to take time off for a holiday.

The study, conducted by online travel agency Expedia, found that 60 per cent of the Indians surveyed have not been on a holiday in the last six months due to a number of reasons. While 37 per cent of them don’t have the funds to go on a holiday, 36 per cent are unable to get time off from work and 27 per cent are saving their time to go on a long break.

Also, 55 per cent Indians surveyed felt that being on a vacation resulted in decreased productivity at work, while 64 per cent felt they were more focused once back from vacation.

“It is very important to inculcate an organizational culture that promotes healthy work-life balance through timely vacations,” Expedia India marketing head Manmeet Ahluwalia said. “While technology helps us leave the office in time, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are disconnected from work.”

South Korea came as the most vacation-deprived country on the list, with 82 per cent respondents, followed by France (66 per cent), Malaysia (65 per cent) and Hong Kong (64 per cent).

Norway, on the other hand, is ranked on top in the list of least vacation-deprived countries, with 38 per cent people saying they had not taken a vacation in the last six months, followed by the Netherlands (39 per cent), Ireland (44 per cent), Sweden (44 per cent) and Taiwan (44 per cent).

The online survey was conducted by Northstar Research Partners between Sept. 4 and 15 this year on behalf of Expedia. It included 15,081 respondents across 30 countries. The survey, titled Expedia Vacation Deprivation Report 2017, is an annual survey of vacation habits conducted across multiple countries and continents.

Though Indians are vacation deprived, according to the Expedia survey, yet another recent report shows a contrasting picture.

As many as 80 per cent millennials in India prefer holidaying in international destinations over domestic ones, according to a recent study done by global search engine Skyscanner.

The survey, The Millennial Travel Study, found that European destinations topped the list among Indian travelers of all age groups, while the United States and New Zealand were also visited by many.

Around 1,000 travelers aged 18-35 years in the country were asked about their preferred destinations, mode of travel, and interests.

With visa schemes like Schengen in place, 50 percent of the millennials surveyed plan to visit multiple destinations in one trip. Over 60 percent of millennials travel two to five times a year while 10 percent said that they travel to different global destinations 6-10 times per year, the survey claimed, adding that 40 per cent millennials prefer vacationing in places that are exotic and less frequented.