New research shows a whopping 20 per cent of Australians choose not to travel while on annual leave – and the reasons are obvious, depending on your life stage.
Despite how-to articles highlighting how to hack your annual leave to extend holiday time and the benefits of clocking off to avoid burnout, many Aussies are opting not to travel at all with one in five (20%) staying put, according to a new survey.
The travelinsurance.com.au study found that one-third (33%) of respondents use only two weeks or half of their annual entitlements to travel, while 17 per cent use just one week for travel per year and six per cent use less than one week.

Around 12 per cent of Aussies use three weeks of leave for travel and another 12 per cent use their full four-week entitlement to take an extended holiday each year.
So, why are we not maximising our annual leave for travel? Cost-of-living pressures and life admin can add up, plus the survey found different generations use their entitlements in different ways.

Unsurprisingly, Baby Boomers, who have more disposable income, are most likely to use their full four-week entitlement for travel with 16 per cent opting to go all in on their annual leave.
Gen X were more likely to stretch their leave for travel to three weeks (18%). Some might use half for travel and save the rest for the Christmas or school holiday breaks.

Younger generations at the start of their careers or on lower incomes are most inclined to use less of their annual leave for travel.
Gen Z were the most likely to take just one week of annual leave for travel (23%), while 43 per cent of Millennials would use two weeks.