With the September school holidays underway, it’s time for the next big break – the festive and summer travel period – and beyond for more vacays in 2025. Here’s how to ace Christmas-New Year travel and hack your annual leave in 2025 to make public holidays work to your advantage on top of your bleisure benefits.
Depending on what state or territory you reside in, most employees can turn 20 days of annual leave into 53 days off in 2025. But not all states are equal.
By crunching the numbers, Corporate Traveller found Aussie employees can more than double their annual leave next year with better holiday opportunities in 2025 compared to 2024.
Australia has between eight to 10 national public holidays each year with some states and territories enjoying an extra one or two public holidays.
Employees in Brisbane, WA, Tasmania, SA and NT receive one more public holiday than NSW employees, while ACT and Victorian workers enjoy an additional two days’ public holidays.
ACT and Victoria bag the best deal with 56 days’ off for 20 days of annual leave (ACT) and 57 days’ off for 21 days of annual leave (Victoria).
Here’s the state-by-state breakdown on how to hack your annual leave in 2025:
Queensland:
- Brisbane workers can increase their holidays to 55 days with just 22 days’ annual leave. This includes a five-day mini-break around the Ekka Public Holiday on Wednesday 13 August.
NSW:
- NSW employees can also hack your annual leave in 2025. Turn 20 days of leave into 50 days off by using four days of annual leave for two nine-day breaks around the King’s Birthday on Monday 10 June and Labour Day on Monday 7 October.
ACT:
- ACT residents get 56 days of holiday with just 20 days’ annual leave – no strategy required. They receive two additional three-day weekends around Canberra Day on Monday 10 March and Reconciliation Day on Monday 2 June.
Victoria
- Victorians, hack your annual leave for a total of 57 days by taking just 21 days’ annual leave in total, including four-day and three-day holidays around Melbourne Cup Day and AFL Grand Final with just one day of annual leave.
Tasmania:
- Tasmanians can take a total of 53 days of holidays with just 20 days’ annual leave with an extra-long weekend available around Eight Hours Day (Monday 10 March) and the Royal Hobart Regatta (Monday 10 February) or Recreation Day (Monday 3 November).
SA:
- Hack your annual leave in 2025, South Australia! With Adelaide Cup Day falling on Monday 10 March next year, South Australians can enjoy a long weekend – extending their total holidays to 53 days with just 20 days of annual leave.
WA:
- Hack your annual leave in 2025 by extending holidays to 59 days with just 24 days’ annual leave by taking four days off (from Tuesday 3 June to Friday 6 June) around West Australian Day on 2 June to secure a nine-day holiday from Saturday 31 May to Sunday 8 June.
NT:
- NT employees increase their holidays to 53 days with just 20 days’ annual leave by securing two nine-day breaks around May Day on Monday 5 May next year and Picnic Day on Monday 4 August.
Festive travel for 2024-25
Savvy employees can also hack your annual leave in 2025 via the festive season shutdown. Ease into 2025 with a 16-day break at Christmas (between 21 December 2024 and 6 January 2025) by combining seven days of annual leave with the 25 December, 26 December and 1 January public holidays.
According to Corporate Traveller’s historic booking data, the best days to fly are either Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day to avoid the busiest projected flight days.
Corporate Traveller tips Friday 13 December and Friday 20 December 2024 as this year’s busiest travel days while 26-28 December 2024 and 2-4 January 2025 are forecast to be the quietest dates for travel.
This Christmas, the most popular international destinations among businesses holidaying are Japan, Canada, Thailand, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, the UK and Vanuatu.
