As much as Aussies want to escape the daily grind, it’s those every day work pressures that are actually preventing them from hopping on the next flight and taking a holiday to their dream destination.
According to new research conducted by Choice Hotels Asia Pacific, over two thirds (67 percent) of Australians surveyed said they’re feeling stressed and in need of more breaks.
But despite their mind and body’s desperate call for a quick getaway, some 62 percent of them said they’re unable to take a holiday because of work-related pressures.
It’s this work-related pressure that kept around 24 percent of respondents from taking a break – not even a short one – in 2016.
Outside of the workplace, the ‘Need a Break’ report found family pressure to be among the highest factors preventing people from taking a holiday last year, with 40 percent of respondents with teenagers saying they couldn’t get away due to familial activities and other commitments.
Just to clarify, the lack of holidays isn’t because Australians don’t want to take a break, because 77 percent of them say they REALLY want to take more short breaks throughout the year.
In fact, 47 percent of them would like to take three- to- four holidays per year, but as a nation we’re simply not doing it, which is why there’s an average of 16 days per full-time working Australian just idly sitting there waiting to be used.
And it’s also why there’s a large number of Aussies out there about to lose it a work like…
After seeing the results of the report, Choice Hotels Asia Pacific CEO, Trent Fraser, said the company decided it wanted to inspire Australians to start taking more time off (“before they reach breaking point”) through a new ‘Need a Break’ campaign.
The campaign highlights how over-stressed the population is, while emphasising the need to start taking some simple steps to restoring a sense of balance back into Aussies’ lives.
“Our new website, NeedaBreak.com, provides tips and advice for dealing with life’s pressures that are impeding our ability to take a short break and recharge the batteries,” Mr Fraser said.
“Destination reviews, travel advice and a unique itinerary planner are also part of the new site, aimed at helping Aussies discover regions across our great country where they can get away for a long weekend or mid-week break with the family, partner or even on their own.”