Workers in the UAE enjoy an average of 11 public
holidays, much more than those in western countries such as the UK, Canada,
Germany, the US and Australia but still far behind those in India, where
workers get 21 days off a year, according to a new report.
“India has the most number of public holidays at
around 21 days each year, even more depending on which state you live in,” said
Joachim Holte, Chief Marketing Officer of Wego, the travel search site which
compiled the data.
“In the Asia/Pacific region, the Philippines
follows with 18, 17 for China and Hong Kong, Thailand receives 16, 15 in
Malaysia and Vietnam, 14 for Indonesia, 13 in Taiwan and South Korea, 11 in
Singapore and 10 in Australia and New Zealand.
“China is not only one of the fastest growing
travel segments in the world, their government makes it easy for workers to
take longer breaks. Should the year’s public holidays fall on a weekend the
government swaps the official dates with weekdays, maximising time off,” Holte
added. “So this year, the total of 17 public holidays equates to 28 days off.
Similarly the Taiwanese total of 13 public holidays results in 29 days off
inclusive of weekends.”
Europeans don’t fare too badly with Sweden and Lithuania
offering the most at 15, followed by 14 in Slovakia, 13 in Austria, Belgium and
Norway and 12 in Finland and Russia. Spain and the UK are not so holiday
minded, with only eight.
This is compared to the 11 offered to workers in
the UAE.
“Mexico has the lowest in the world with only seven
public holidays each year although the government permits a few more ‘optional’
public holidays, at the employer’s discretion.”
“Some countries however provide a little more in
the way of statutory holiday leave which can top up public holidays nicely,”
Holte added.
“The Philippines public holiday count of 18 is
increased with an additional five days mandatory holiday leave, and while
Australian workers receive around ten public holidays depending on which state
you live in, annual holiday leave entitlement totals an additional 20 working
days.”
“Travel is like a reward for all those hard working
days we spend at the office but the amount of paid leave is what restricts us
from making the most of those opportunities,” Holte said.
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