{"id":547997,"date":"2026-03-20T01:43:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T01:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/547997\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T01:43:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T01:43:12","slug":"where-are-canadians-travelling-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/547997\/","title":{"rendered":"Where are Canadians travelling this summer?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.<\/p>\n

Industry experts are predicting a robust Canada-first summer travel season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Amid geopolitical tensions, the war in the Middle East, and a significant number of Canadians still skipping United States travel, it looks like there\u2019s no place like home for vacation-seeking Canucks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A\u00a0recent\u00a0YouGov survey done for Flight\u00a0Centre Travel Group Canada\u00a0showed\u00a037 per cent of those polled were prioritizing domestic travel this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The World Cup is a big domestic summer tourism driver as host cities Toronto and Vancouver welcome some 350,000 fans each.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0event\u00a0is\u00a0\u201can\u00a0unprecedented opportunity,\u201d Destination BC says, showcasing Vancouver<\/a> for one of the\u00a0globe\u2019s\u00a0most-watched\u00a0sporting events. Destination BC hopes to entice soccer fans to see places outside the city with programs like Same\u00a0Day Game Day, which has\u00a0itineraries for\u00a0regional\u00a0one-day\u00a0trips<\/a> to and from BC Place stadium.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

Vancouver is planning to welcome some 350,000 soccer fans this summer as one of two World Cup host cities in Canada.<\/p>\n

Destination BC says\u00a0early indicators point to strong interest in summer travel across the province. Hotel occupancy is tracking ahead of last year and airline bookings are also up, with increases seen from Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCanada is having a global moment. Our brand reputation has never been stronger,\u201d said\u00a0Marsha Walden, Destination Canada president and CEO in a statement.<\/p>\n

Programs like the Canada Strong Pass<\/a>, which saves visitors money with free admissions and discounts, also makes travel here more attractive, Destination BC\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What are travellers searching for?<\/p>\n

Numbers from travel search engine KAYAK reveal Canadians have travel on their minds, with summer trip searches up eight per cent over last year.<\/p>\n

Canadian searches for Willemstad, Cura\u00e7ao are up 55 per cent from a year ago. Nassau, Bahamas is up 48 per cent since last spring and Hanoi, Vietnam is up 38 per cent from the same period.<\/p>\n

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. topped KAYAK\u2019s list of popular search destinations, despite continuing political tensions between Canada and the U.S. Tokyo was second and Orlando, Fla. third. The data shows Canadians are also looking into summer travel to Paris, London and Lisbon, as well as Vancouver and Toronto.<\/p>\n

Booking early is a smart plan no matter where\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0headed this summer, said\u00a0Amra Durakovic, head of communications for Flight Centre Travel Group Canada.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really the time to book for summer vacation and that\u2019s true even without global tensions,\u201d she said. Prices go up as travel dates approach and availability can be tricky.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Also, as the war in Iran threatens oil supplies, fluctuating prices could mean pricier airline tickets. Fuel is one the largest operational costs for airlines, Durakovic said. Rerouting flight paths to avoid conflict zones can also add costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What Canadian destinations are stealing the spotlight?<\/p>\n

A November YouGov survey for Flight Centre showed of the 1,000 Canadians polled about summer travel plans, 62 per cent said they were \u201cless likely\u201d to travel south of the border.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Statistics Canada<\/a>, return car trips from the U.S. by Canadian residents fell 12.9 per cent in February 2026 and 17.6 per cent by air on a year-over-year basis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cyndi Paddock, senior travel consultant with Marlin Travel Victoria, said popular U.S. destinations are getting the cold shoulder<\/a>. Her bookings are down for Las Vegas, California<\/a> and Disney-themed travel. Alaska cruises are still popular with Canadians, though. Paddock believes the fact ships sail from Vancouver may be helping.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

A picturesque scene of Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park in the Bay of Fundy, N.B.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur own booking data shows our share of domestic bookings have been growing month over month,\u201d Durakovic said, adding it appears Canadian travel is benefiting from the slump in cross-border travel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paddock says her clients are looking at Canadian destinations that offer unique experiences, including Churchill,\u00a0Man. for polar bear watching and Yellowknife, N.W.T. for the partial solar eclipse Aug. 12.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Maritimes are up as well,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

New Brunswick adventure tourism business owner Jordan Jamison of Bay of Fundy Adventures said he\u2019s seeing a significant uptick in bookings for summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

A look at Bay of Fundy Adventures\u2019 Kayak the Sea Caves tourin New Brunswick.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re nestled between Maine, Que. and Nova Scotia but we\u2019re still Canada\u2019s best-kept secret,\u201d said Jamison, whose company takes kayakers\u00a0around\u00a0the Bay of Fundy, home of\u00a0the highest tides on Earth. Paddlers\u00a0depart\u00a0twice daily from St. Martins, about 50 km east of Saint John.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That under-the-radar status may be changing for New Brunswick<\/a>. Jamison has seen bookings up to double since 2024 for\u00a0his company\u2019s\u00a0Kayak the Bay of Fundy Sea Caves Tour, primarily among Canadian visitors. U.S. visitors were up\u00a042 per cent, Jamison said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are still discovering our province,\u201d he said, pointing to the \u201cgorgeous\u201d southern coast and multiple dark sky preserves as tourist draws.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How Canadian travellers are making swaps\"<\/p>\n

Travel consultant Cyndi Paddock says she\u2019s booking clients on summer trips to Norway, with some Nordic cruises advertising itineraries that include the partial solar eclipse in August. Above, the view from the top of Loen Skylift.<\/p>\n

Retired political reporter Richard Brennan of Dundas, Ont. and his wife Vickie cancelled a planned trip to Naples FL last year. They banked the airline travel credit for a trip to St. John\u2019s Newfoundland and Labrador in May.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been there while covering federal elections but never got to really enjoy it,\u201d said Brennan.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jacqueline Walters\u00a0of Toronto\u00a0has a passion for road trips\u00a0on\u00a0Blu,\u00a0her beloved\u00a02021 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Revival touring bike.\u00a0She planned to\u00a0ride across\u00a0Canada and\u00a0head down the Oregon coast to the Grand Canyon\u00a0and\u00a0perhaps Texas\u00a0for her summer \u201cgrand retirement tour.\u201d\u00a0Instead,\u00a0she\u2019ll\u00a0take shorter trips,\u00a0riding\u00a0and camping\u00a0in\u00a0Ontario.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJust because of that geopolitical situation. I just don\u2019t feel safe doing it and I don\u2019t feel it\u2019s the right time,\u201d she said of the U.S. trip.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Walters is an experienced traveller.\u00a0As an\u00a0international referee with the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations for 16 years,\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0been\u00a0all over the globe officiating\u00a0matches.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

Jacqueline Walters of Toronto on her 2021 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Revival touring bike she\u2019s named Blu, on a trip to Newfoundland.<\/p>\n

Geopolitics also affected Walters\u2019 spring travel plans. She was looking at Latin or South America for a beach holiday, but recent situations in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico<\/a> and Venezuela made her choose Thailand for a three-week vacation in April instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe flight to Thailand is expensive, but once you get there, it\u2019s a very economical place to be,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Flight Centre\u2019s\u00a0Durakovic\u00a0agrees.\u00a0For the same reason,\u00a0she said Japan\u00a0has become \u201ca huge destination\u201d for Canadians<\/a>, especially\u00a0for the value for travellers once they land.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paddock said she\u2019s getting inquiries about Japan<\/a> from clients who say they want a safe place to travel since Japan ranks as one of the world\u2019s safest countries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Paddock is booking clients on summer trips to Italy, Norway, Iceland, Greece and Portugal. European river cruises are very popular, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Travellers are also interested in astrotourism<\/a>. She booked one family on a trip to Spain for the total solar eclipse in August<\/a>. Norway cruises are advertising itineraries that include the partial solar eclipse, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

No matter where Canadians head to this summer, as travel becomes increasingly unpredictable, Paddock recommends getting cancel for any reason (CFAR) travel insurance in addition to trip interruption and cancellation coverage. CFAR covers cancellation beyond the reasons policies typically cover like illness, injury or a family medical emergency. <\/p>\n

CFAR covers a portion of prepaid, non-refundable expenses\u00a0if a traveller decides to pull the plug on a trip whether it\u2019s due to travel fears or an issue at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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