As borders here and around the world slowly reopen, and demand for international travel continues to rise, in the short term, Canadians are still interested in trips closer to home, according to new reports and data.
Data from online travel platform Kayak shows that while the number of Canadians looking for international flights is on the rise since the end of 2021, searches for domestic flights as recently as this month are still much higher.
Compared to the same day in 2019, searches for domestic flights on 03APR 2022 were up 55 per cent, while searches for international flights were up only 10 per cent.
Further Kayak data shows that "Canadian travel interest" to select domestic destinations is also on the rise.
For the week of 10APR, compared to the same week in 2019, Canadian travel interest is:
- up 97 per cent for Halifax,
- up 82 per cent for Calgary,
- up 66 per cent for Vancouver,
- up 51 per cent for Toronto,
- up 44 per cent for Montreal,
- up 40 per cent for Winnipeg, and
- up 28 per cent for Edmonton.
When ranking the top increases in travel interest for the week of 10APR, only Dubai ranks higher than Halifax with an increase of 105 per cent compared to the same week in 2019. Istanbul ranked third with an increased demand of 90 per cent, followed by Calgary. New Delhi rounded out the top five, with an increased demand of 76 per cent.
An outlook report from Destination Canada in 2021 also highlights a rise for both short-haul and long-haul domestic travel as a key market trend.
"While there’s much pent-up demand for travel, there’s also a significant portion of the population that’s not entirely comfortable straying far from home, creating opportunities for drive destinations and the creation of road trip itineraries for travellers willing to explore more deeply in a regional, provincial, territorial or national context," the tourist board said.
Another related market trend includes "wilderness travel," with travellers seeking nature-based destinations after being cooped up at home. Canadian travellers can opt for physically challenging adventures or easy day trips with trails they can visit with children, all found within their own backyard, according to Destination Canada.
"With more barriers to travel and more travellers staying put, domestic visitation will prevail, with all generations and demographics seeking to explore the country," Destination Canada said in its 2022 outlook. "Residential tourism and long-term stays will also be favoured in the short term as locals seek to explore and discover their city or region differently."
