Top Countries with Most Public Holidays

Nils Kraus - Jun 15, 2009
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Don’t you love when you don’t have to get up in the morning and go to work? For many people public holidays represent a welcome change in the daily routine. Which countries had the most public holidays in 2008? Where should you go to enjoy some days off? Euromonitor International announced the top countries with the greatest amount of public holidays on working days. Tourism-review.com invites to check them out.

China, Hong Kong

16 days/year

As well as the new two-day weekend, Chinese workers enjoy various holidays throughout the year including New Year’s Day, the Spring Festival, Labour Day and National Day. Those working for multinational companies can even expect a Christmas holiday. Any bank holiday falling on a weekend is now usually offered as a day off the following working week. Annual paid holiday usually comprises of between one and two weeks to be taken at a time which suits both the employee and the firm. 

Egypt

16 days/year

Paid holiday from formal jobs is generally 21 days, with 16 public holidays throughout the year, and two public holidays that fall on the weekend. Most government employees are compensated the following week if the public holidays fall on weekends. Other private companies link holidays that fall near weekends with other days. Therefore these days are usually deducted from the employee’s annual leave.

India

15 days/year

Government employees receive, on average, one month of paid leave per year but in the private sector employees receive between 15 and 20 days paid leave. In 2007, there were 17 public holidays in India, 12 of which fell on week days. In 2008 the number of public holidays decreased to 15. Indians tend to take a few days around such public holidays and plan a slightly longer holiday.
For Indians the peak periods for travelling are during the school summer holiday in June and the winter break in December while arrivals tend to peak between August and March, as the summer months tend to be too harsh for many inbound travellers.

Indonesia

15 days/year

At the end of the Ramadan fasting period, Indonesian Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, also known locally as lebaran. During lebaran, many urban city dwellers, especially Muslims, return to their home towns or villages, usually in the rural areas. For this reason, the government usually declares a one-week (five-day) holiday to allow the massive orderly outflow and inflow of people from and back to the cities.  
The trend for holidays over long weekends became increasingly common after the Bali bombing of 2002 (which left more than 200 people dead) and the second Bali bombing of 2005. The immediate effect of the bombing was a sharp decline in tourism to Bali, as many foreign tourists cancelled their trips to the island. It is hoped that the long weekend holidays created by the government in this way will encourage Indonesians to travel domestically, especially to Bali, thus preventing the sudden collapse of the tourism industry. 

Thailand

15 days/year

Employees are entitled to 40 days of annual paid leave: 10 days for personal leave; 10 days for vacation and 30 days for sick leave. There are at least 13 national and religious holidays per year. Most Thai people tend to take vacation at least twice a year to join their children's semester breaks. Children usually take two semester breaks, in April and October of every year.   
When national or religious holidays fall on Friday or Monday, it is common for Thai workers to spend those longer weekends for travel in the country or to other countries nearby. 

Morocco

15 days/year

Most Moroccans spend their annual leave within Morocco itself, often visiting family or sometimes simply staying at home. Most take at least two to three weeks holiday in August, and they usually spend much of this time at the beach, usually along Morocco's long Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. Middle-income consumers may also travel to other regions of the country.

Malaysia

14 days/year

Malaysia has many public holidays each year. Employees are typically entitled to 14-24 days of annual leave and 30 days medical leave. Most holidays are taken at the end and at the beginning of each year as the population celebrates some of its biggest celebrations namely Deepavali, Eid Mubarak, Christmas and Chinese New Year. The holiday season usually begins in November and runs through to February the next year.

South Korea

13 days/year
   
Overall leave entitlement remained similar during both 2005 and 2006. In previous years, public holidays have been adjusted to balance out the total number of holidays, and therefore the increased number of paid holidays at work was accordingly offset by the reduced amount of national holidays. The impact of the five-working-day system has changed the concept of holidays as most people are taking the two days of the weekend off. As a result, short domestic trips have seen an increasing frequency compared with longer stay-over holiday trips during the past couple of years.

Chile

13 days/year

There are 13 public holidays per year. In Chile, some holidays that fall on working days are moved to the following Monday, which allows employees to enjoy a 3-day “weekend”. This law was approved partly because the government considers that longer weekends favour tourism.
The most traditional cultural event in Chile is related to the celebration of Chile's Independence Day, which happens every year around the official day of 18 September. Chilean food and drinks are consumed in "ramadas", places set up for the occasion to enjoy dancing and folk music, including "cueca", the official national folk dance, and other Latin American rhythms.

Turkey

13 days/year

People tend to take their holidays either on public holidays or during the summer. Holidays in winter encourage people to take a trip to warmer places, usually southern parts of Turkey. However, in winter 2007, snowfall was surprisingly rare, and winter tourism faced a crisis of low demand, since there was no snow and therefore no skiing.
Religious public holidays are very common in Turkey. There are public holidays for two religious festivals, as well as three days of national holidays.

Brought to you by Tourism-Review.com, the tourism news provider for the travel trade community worldwide. Visit www.tourism-review.com.

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Comments

  1. public holidays

    Suggest you check Bavaria, Germany - having lived in munich for a couple of years we definitely rated that a one of the better places to be for public hols!!!

    (France)
  2. I think Philippines has the most number of holidays.

    (Philippines)
  3. slovakia has 16 days of bank holidays in year...

    (Slovakia)
  4. sri lanka has the highest number of holidays in the world.Just do an internet search & see

  5. SRI LANKA IS SAFE NOW.Its a nice place for a holiday

    (Sri Lanka)
  6. Trinidad and Tobago should be on this list. They have 14 official public holidays and 2 unofficial public holidays, for a total of 16.

    The 2 unofficial days are for Carnival, when all Banks, Goverment offices and most businesses are closed. So for all intents and purposes, they can be considered as 'official holidays'

    (Trinidad and Tobago)
  7. Ven.

    SriLanka has 25 days.... beat that!

    (Sri Lanka)
  8. Philippines have most.
    33 holidays!
    thats more than a month if combined!

    (Philippines)
  9. Nepal is best!

    47holiday? u beleive? but it is true Nepal have 47 holidays in year.

    (Nepal)
  10. the country with the most "public holidays"

    i dont think nepal has \"officially recognized\" public holidays which count 47 ??!!!
    government stats frm srilanka states that 31 public holidays... without the christmas week and wesak week
    dats 31+14
    45

    Shehan from Srilanka (Sri Lanka)
  11. Colombia!! Southamerica

    Colombia has 18 holidays!!!

    Andres (Colombia)
  12. Trinidad and Tobago

    Trinidad and Tobago has 16 Holidays. 14 Public Holidays, and two days for Carnival. While Carnival Monday and Tuesday are technically not a public holidays, virtually all private and public offices are closed.

    blinks (Trinidad and Tobago)
  13. trinidad has most holidays

    hi guys just that you will know Trinidad and Tobago has the most holidays in the world its 17 public holidays

    fareed (Trinidad and Tobago)
  14. Philippines

    Philippines has 19 National and about 5 local holdays

    GarryG (Philippines)
  15. First place goes to Sri Lanka

    It is Sri Lanka, 25 public holidays !!!

    Swalker (Sri Lanka)
  16. INDONESIA HAS 15 OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS AND LOADS OF VACATION GIFT!!!

    INDONESIA HAS 15 OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS AND TOTAL 15 DAYS OF VACATION GIFT!!!

    escorting (Afghanistan)
  17. Trinidad and Tobago has quite a few

    excluding our 2 day carnival festivities, days on which most establishments are closed (even the banks), the beautiful country of Trinidad and Tobago has 14 public holidays.

    crystacel (Trinidad and Tobago)
  18. the authors of this should be ashamesd

    complete trash, your team obviously does little research!!!

    sri lanka and lebanon not mentioned? silly.

    will (Afghanistan)
  19. Trinidad and Tobago gets 14 public and 2 unofficial.

    Trinidad and Tobago get 14 public holidayts and 2 unofficial for Carnival each year.

    James (Trinidad and Tobago)
  20. Trinidad and Tobago is the winner

    Trinidad and Tobago 'officially' has 14days/year.
    However for the two days of Carnival all businesses and Government offices are closed. I think this defines a public holiday globally.
    So in reality they have 16days/year as public holidays.

    G (United Kingdom)
  21. Trinidad and Tobago is the winner

    Trinidad and Tobago 'officially' has 14days/year.
    However for the two days of Carnival all businesses and Government offices are closed. I think this defines a public holiday globally.
    So in reality they have 16days/year as public holidays.

    G (United Kingdom)
  22. Colombia

    We should be in the list :P we have 18 public holidays.

    Daniel (Colombia)
  23. Macau, China

    Should also really consider Macau, China. Portugeuse ex-colony in China which enables it to have a multitude of major and minor Catholic holidays combined with the lunar and spiritual holidays of China. Throw in a few internationally recognized days like New Years' and Christmas and you have a total of 20 days.

    Eythan (Afghanistan)
  24. this article is false

    Amongst these countries Nigeria shouls be found there with over 17 days public holidays this is becuase our culture is to shift public holidays that fall on a weekend to weekdays

    nigerian (Afghanistan)
  25. Article is misleading with unreliable sources,Sri Lanka Is the country with the most holidays

    Well before posting such articles,you should better take a view of some reliable source.....
    Sri lanka has 25 public holidays....yes 25 !!! this is from government statistics.This is in 2012,but last year we had two more in addition too.....
    Im a foreigner living in Sri Lanka,came here because of holidays

    Sean (Sri Lanka)
  26. your wrong

    sri lanka has 27 holidays
    check wikipedia

    lanka boy (Sri Lanka)
  27. Totally wrong

    Ironically None of the countries you listed are actually in the top 10

    Whatever (Afghanistan)
  28. Trinidad has 16 holidays

    1.New Years Day
    2. Carnival Monday
    3.Carnival Tuesday
    4.Shouter Baptist Liberation Day
    5. Good Friday
    6. Easter Monday
    7. Indian Arrival day
    8. Corpus Christi
    9.Labor Day
    10. Emancipation Day
    11. Independence Day
    12. Republic Day
    13. Divali
    14. Eid-ul-Fitr
    15. Christmas Day
    16. Boxing Day

    osculate (Trinidad and Tobago)
  29. thats bs philiippines has like 57 holidays total are 24 paid holidays... they have 2 paid hoildays a month... thats not counting the flood days when i you cant go to work...

    richard da bomb (Philippines)
  30. Nah Trinidad should be on this list 4 sure

    Trinidad and Tobago should DEFINITELY be on this list. We have 16 holidays in all every year (14 public and 2 for Carnival). seems like we have one every 3 weeks lol

    Katelun (Trinidad and Tobago)

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