 |
A
staggering 69 percent cite work responsibilities as the main culprit,
while 24
percent lose out because they actually fear vacation planning
|
A regional survey commissioned by Beringer Vineyards, Napa Valley, has revealed that while the majority (94 percent)
of Malaysians claim to ‘long’ for their next vacation and over half consider
themselves well-travelled (67 percent), four fifths believe that they could
have maximised their annual leave if only they were better at travel planning.
49
percent of respondents from Malaysia even admitted that they have gone to a destination they have no interest in, just because someone
else was willing to plan it for them.
The
survey of over 5,000 respondents across five countries*
was commissioned to better understand attitudes towards vacation planning –
whether Malaysians have the know-how or a genuine fear of planning, to who takes
charge and how much time is invested in making plans.
“We
were shocked to find that there’s a growing trend of Malaysians who are
short changing themselves when it comes to getting the most from their annual
leave, given that they work so hard to earn it,” commented
Chris Thomas, Regional Marketing Director, Beringer Vineyards.
“In response to the findings, Beringer has launched a campaign on the
world’s largest travel site TripAdvisor, to inspire a holiday planning
revolution. We want people to see that making vacation planning a social
occasion is the way forward. A little bit of planning can have a huge impact on
the kind of holiday you experience and it’s well within everyone’s reach. We
believe that vacation planning is always better when shared with others over a
glass of wine,” added Thomas.
Survey
findings also revealed that a quarter (24 percent) of Malaysians
actually fear vacation planning, 17 percent hate it and do their best to avoid
it and 33 percent likened vacation planning to being at work. However, 96
percent agreed that sharing the responsibility of vacation planning makes it
more likely to happen, and more enjoyable.
While
well over half of Malaysians (60
percent) find themselves rolling over annual leave to the next financial year,
or losing it completely, a staggering 80 percent acknowleged that they could
have enjoyed more trips if only they were better at planning.
The
main reasons Malaysians are
not maximising annual leave include challenging work schedules /
responsibilities (69 percent) and conflicting schedules of travel buddies (31
percent). Moreover, 10 percent shared that they find vacation planning so
overwhelming that they shut down completely.
Against the Clock or Time to Plan?
Malaysians
typically only start vacation planning just eight weeks or less before their
departure date. They only spend an average of nine hours to research a
destination, prepare an itinerary and secure the best deals. They admit that
this last minute approach does add to their stress levels unnecessarily. Only
11 percent of Malaysians would
commit to more than seven months ahead to plan a trip.
Not so Happy Holidays
Unashamedly,
three quarters are guilty of being critical of travel plans they have not helped
to develop. In comparison, 52 percent of those surveyed frequently feel
frustrated when they face criticism over travel plans that they have been
forced to plan alone, and often feel on edge for most of a trip.
Turn Back Time?
The
top three holiday regrets Malaysians would
most want to change if they could turn back time on that holiday include: taking
advantage of lower cost travel by booking early (65 percent), better
destination research (59 percent), and encouraging social planning with friends
to make planning more enjoyable (40 percent).
Getting Tactical
Committed
planners use multiple tactics to entice their planning phobic travel buddies to
input, align and get excited to plan ahead of a trip. Woman are more likely to
set up a WhatsApp group, whereas men opt for a quick phone call. While Malaysians are more likely than
Singaporeans (42 percent vs. 36 percent) to attempt to arrange a social meet up
to discuss plans, over 90 percent in both countries agree that sharing the
responsibility of planning for a vacation would make planning more enjoyable, which
could lead to a better trip.
Top 5 Planning Hacks:
1) Be first
– If getting your annual leave approved is tricky, apply at least 6-9
months ahead of time. You don’t need to finalise your travel plans then, but
it’s highly likely that your request will be signed off quickly as it’s
unlikely to clash with others and it’s typically too far ahead for work clashes
to be predicted.
2) Be social –
You are statistically more likely to maximise your annual leave if you schedule
face-to-face meet ups to plan together with your travel buddies. Disguise
these as regular get-togethers over a cheeky glass of wine, so as not to scare
off the non-planners in your group!
3) Be single minded –
Don’t try to set the date, destination and itinerary at once. This will most
likely lead to your group failing at the first stage of planning and paying a
higher price if you are fixed on a destination.
4) Slow and
steady wins the race – Once your date and destination are set, slow down
and make time to plan your itinerary together. Research shows that sharing
the responsibility of vacation planning is more enjoyable than going solo.
5) Public
holiday panic – It’s true, the thought of not maximising every
public holiday is sinful, but the reality is that no matter how quickly you
move, airlines and hotels already have these dates marked too, so you’ll
already be paying a premium. Given using leave is more of an issue in
Malaysia than not having enough, consider using a public holiday to get
together with your group to plan the best trip ever.
ABOUT BERINGER VINEYARDS
The epitome of a modern classic, Beringer has been
Napa Valley’s benchmark producer since its establishment in 1876. Winemaker
Mark Beringer crafts classic wines from Napa’s finest appellations and Beringer’s
exceptional collection of vineyards. A winemaking legacy is reflected in an
acclaimed portfolio of wines, which are collected worldwide. The historic
estate in St. Helena offers a tradition of hospitality that defines the Napa
Valley.