Going on Vacation? Maybe Not.

If you’re reading this while on vacation, good for you.

Expedia’s 24 th annual Vacation Deprivation Report finds that roughly half of Americans don’t plan on using all their time off this year because “life is too busy to plan or go on vacation.”

That’s not even the worst of it: The Seattle-based online travel company also reports that we average only 12 vacation days annually, the fewest of any country surveyed.

“We may not be able to control how many days off we get, but the research begs the question: What can we learn from other countries that will help Americans break this horrible habit of not using the time off we do have?” says Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group brands public relations.

So-called “vacation deprivation” is at an 11-year high, with 65% of Americans saying they don’t take enough vacation. While that’s consistent with other countries, work-life balance here seems out of whack.

Just look at France, a country Expedia describes as having a “right to rest.” Or maybe Hong Kong, where workers somehow find a way to take 90 extra days off during the course of their careers.

“In Japan, people take time off every month instead of just twice a year,” Fish adds. “For the French, not even a full month of vacation feels like enough time. Clearly there’s a lot for the U.S. to borrow from, whether it’s spreading your PTO throughout the year or prioritizing rest on your next vacation.”

As a longtime journalist, it’s always been tough for me to unwind. When newspapers were still a thing, I’d often critique headlines or leads in whatever city I was “vacationing” in. At one point, my wife even banned me from looking at a newspaper. Unfortunately, my phone now feeds that obsession.

I’ve never had a serious thirst for travel, but I definitely understand the vacation void. As Fish says, “No one means to leave vacation days behind.”

Now, if I could only find my passport.

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