Majority of Canadians plan to stay close to home on this year's summer vacation, survey finds
A new survey found a majority of Canadian respondents plan to stay within the country on their next trip amidst high costs of living.
The 2024 Summer Travel Outlook by Deloitte Canada found that 74 per cent of those surveyed plan to stay in Canada, close to their home region, on their summer road trip. Many are also looking at a summer road trip as a means to save on expenses.
The survey also found that 35 per cent said they won’t be travelling at all because they can't afford it or they would rather use their money for other purposes.
“Definitely, there is a percentage of Canadians who will not be travelling in a major way this year,” said Clark Hoskin, Senior Manager with Deloitte Canada.
Still, those surveyed said they planned to spend $2,405 on just loding and accommodations on their next holiday.
"[Canadians] are still price sensitive, but they do plan to get out and spend some money” said Hoskin.
A familiar theme is the great outdoors with many hoping to take in nature, lakes, beaches, wilderness areas and local attractions.
Another travel survey by Kayak, a travel search engine, found two of the top domestic destinations this summer will be Calgary and Edmonton.
The website also said for Canadians who want to stretch their dollar outside of the country searches for South and Central America have increased by more than 30 per cent.
"In the summer we are seeing South and Central America travel prices down by 12 and 13 per cent each, so it's definitely a place where you can go to get more value for your dollar," said Leon Mulder, Senior Country Manager for Kayak Canada.
Kayak said while Europe is still a favourite for Canadians, prices have increased over last year and some tourists are by-passing the favourite cities of London and Paris to visit more affordable destinations.
"Currently we are seeing Rome, Lisbon, Athens and Amsterdam as the most popular destinations,” said Mulder.
According to the website anyone planning a vacation should lock in their trip soon as prices are considered low right now, but will continue to rise until the end of June and you'll usually pay a premium for trips booked in July and August.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A new tax filing system could give Canadians more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits: PBO
Canadians would get more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits each year through an automatic tax filing system, according to a report published by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
Prince William shares childhood photo of him and King Charles III for Father's Day
Prince William on Sunday shared a photograph showing him as a child with his father, King Charles III, to mark Father’s Day in the United Kingdom this year.
Rare surgery in Montreal allows 9-year-old girl to live normal life
A rare surgery at the Montreal Children's Hospital is allowing a nine-year-old girl to keep her adrenal glands and live a normal life.
Video shows northern Ont. storm hammer shoreline, breaking dock
The owner of a northern Ont. camp is continuing to clean up after an intense storm that prompted a tornado warning Thursday ripped through the area breaking his dock and downing trees.
'Dismantled' human smuggling group tied to dead migrants in St. Lawrence River: RCMP
A human smuggling ring recently dismantled by members of the RCMP was connected to the deaths of eight migrants who drowned in the St. Lawrence River while trying to cross illegally into the United States last year.
East Coast authorities working on warning signs for great white sharks
There's growing evidence that the number of great white sharks is on the rise along Canada's East Coast, where plans are in the works to post warning signs for beachgoers for the first time.
Foreign Affairs Minister insists there are no ‘traitors’ in Liberal caucus
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insists there are no "traitors" in the Liberal caucus, after a report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) alleged there are MPs and senators who are “semi-witting or witting participants” in foreign interference efforts.
Trump blasts immigrants for taking jobs as he courts voters at a Black church, MAGA event in Detroit
Donald Trump blamed immigrants for stealing jobs and government resources as he courted separate groups of Black voters and hardcore conservatives in battleground Michigan on Saturday.
Maine police kill armed man after a night of gunfire and burned homes
A Maine State Police tactical team fatally shot a man on a rooftop early Saturday after an hourslong standoff in which authorities said he opened fire at officers, two homes burned down and a person who fought with him apparently died.