58% of Canadians feel vacation deprived — even with an average of 18 days off each year

While many Canadians feel overworked, turns out we take more time off than our American friends — approximately seven more vacation days.

Despite the extra week off, a 2024 Expedia report found that 58% of Canadians felt vacation deprived, up slightly from 56% in 2022. Despite being entitled to an average of 18 vacation days per year, it appears that Canadians feel vacation deprived.

What's worse is that almost half (45%) of Canadians didn't even use all their vacation days in a given year. The biggest reason for not booking vacation time? A perceived need to hoard time-off in case of an emergency.

With vacation rates trending downwards in many parts of the world, it's clear North American working adults could benefit from picking up some of the time-off strategies and attitudes exhibited by workers in neighbouring nations. To help, here are some strategies to help you maximize your vacation and minimize the costs.

Do Canadians take vacation?

According to Expedia's Vacation Deprivation Report, Canadians tend to go long stretches without time-off with 21% of Canadians more likely to go a year or more between vacations, compared to 18% of workers from outside of Canada.

"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 Canadians use their time off to the fullest extent," explains Head of Media Relations for Expedia Group, Melanie Fish.

"In Japan, people take time off every month instead of just twice a year. For the French, a full month of vacation still doesn't feel like enough time," says Fish. "Clearly there's a lot to borrow from, whether it's spreading your [paid time off] PTO throughout the year or prioritizing rest on your next vacation."

Only 5% of Canadians take a monthly vacation, compared to 32% for Japanese workers. What's remarkable is that Japanese workers, on average, take fewer vacation days on an annual basis, compared to Canadians — 12 compared to 18, respectively. One big difference, as determined by the Expedia research, was that Japanese workers are more likely to take advantage of federal holidays or office and school closures to schedule more frequent but short getaways.

Cost as a barrier

Rising travel costs contribute to Canadians skipping vacation. Statistics Canada reported a 20% increase in airfares in 2023, while hotel prices jumped 7%. For many households, this makes a week away financially out of reach.

Workplace culture as a barrier

Beyond cost, workplace culture is a major barrier. Nearly half of Canadian workers report feeling guilty or pressured not to use their vacation days. This can contribute to burnout, absenteeism, and lower productivity in the long term.

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Prioritizing time-off matters

As a result, many Canadians save their vacation time for a big trip. A fifth of Canadians didn't use all their time off in 2023 because they were saving up for a big trip.

Compare this to the French, where 30% opted to spread their days out evenly throughout the year, instead. The residents of Hong Kong were the only respondents who admitted to taking more time off than they were allocated — in 2024, 15% planned to repeat this practice, compared to 12% in Canada.

What we prioritize during our time-off matters

Not only do Canadians not take advantage of time off but the majority of Canadians don't prioritize rest and relaxation during their time off. Almost two-third of Canadians (65%), prioritize rest and relaxation, while more than three-quarters (84%) of Japanese travellers prioiritize rest and relaxation.

Make the most of your travels with these helpful tips

In 2025, Canadians looking to stretch their vacation dollars found benefits from using travel credit cards like the RBC British Airways Infinite Visa or the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite or Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard.

For many Canadians a vacation or time-off is often hampered by an inability to budget the expense of time away. As a result, many Canadians get creative with how they find the money to enjoy their time-off from work.

One common strategy is to use a rewards credit card — a card that offers points or rewards for spending and lets the user use these loyalty points towards the purchase of travel-related expenses, such as car rentals, hotels and flights.

The benefit of a rewards card is that the rewards are earned for spending already allocated within your budget.

Another advantage to using a credit card to help with the costs of travel is that many travel credit cards offer travel insurance as well as travel perks, such as no foreign exchange fees or free flights (once terms and conditions are met).

There are, however, some important tips and tricks to be mindful of before jetting off on your next vacation and using your credit card. Here are five key strategies to keep in mind when before using a credit card before and during your travels.

Find out if your card is widely accepted when travelling overseas

Visa and Mastercard credit cards are widely accepted in most countries. Many countries are also seeing a growing acceptance of American Express cards.

The best option is to confirm if your Canadian credit card can be used in another country is to do a little prep work before you leave. First, notify your credit card issuer of your upcoming travel plans and what countries you’ll be visiting. Not only will you get confirmation that the card will work overseas but this notification will reduce the risk of your credit card company flagging and freezing your account for fraud or suspicious activities.

Using tap to pay when on vacation in another nation

Not all credit card terminals allow tap or contactless, and some won’t accept chip and personal identification numbers (PIN). For instance, some countries require a six-digit pin, while others still require you to sign a slip.

To reduce the chance of having your card rejected be sure to confirm your pin before you depart. Also, call your credit card provider and ask if additional numbers need to be added to the pin when using the card overseas. In many cases, adding two zeros before your regular PIN is enough to enable you to use the card and tap-and-go terminals.

Fees associated with credit card use abroad

Many credit cards in Canada charge a foreign exchange fee on every transaction, on top of the currency exchange rate back to Canadian dollars. These fees are typically 2.5% of the purchase amount.

If you travel often, look into a card that doesn't charge foreign exchange fees on transactions. The added bonus is that because this is a Visa card, your card will probably be accepted in far more places, particularly in locations outside of major cities.

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Credit cards that are best for travel

The best credit cards are those that reward you for everyday spending, while offering travel perks that help ease your stress or offer value-added benefits. For instance, credit cards that waive foreign exchange fees or a good option, as are cards that offer higher cashback earnings on foreign dollar transactions.

Should you choose local currency or Canadian dollar transactions?

You will also want to be mindful of dynamic currency rates set by networks like Visa, Mastercard and American Express. These are typically shown on a payment terminal at checkout, and users are asked to select which currency they want to charge the payment to: The local currency or the Canadian dollar. It is typically best practice to choose the local currency.

Carry additional methods of payment

If all else fails, make sure you have access to backup payment methods, including debit and cash. While credit cards are widely accepted in North America, there are countries where cash remains highly preferred or the only acceptable payment method.

It’s essential to research before travelling, notify your credit card company, be vigilant while spending, and frequently review your credit card transactions on your bank’s mobile app.

Survey methodology

The Expedia Vacation Deprivation report was completed between March 26 and April 3, 2024 by by Harris Research Partners, a global strategic research firm, responses were gathered using an amalgamated group of best-in-class panels. The margin of error for the global average is 1% to 4% and is statistically significant at a 90% confidence rate. Expedia first commissioned Vacation Deprivation in the year 2000 to examine the work-life balance of people worldwide. The annual study is currently in its 24th year and was conducted online among 11,580 respondents across the U.S., UK, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.