Summer may be winding down, but fall travel is heating up.
Expedia Group data shows Canadians aren’t just chasing fall colour destinations this year. From East Coast locales to overseas adventures in Asia, Expedia’s fall travel outlook dives into autumn travel trends, including the hottest destinations, best booking windows, and ways to save. Canadians are also looking to book trips to Buffalo to see the Buffalo Bills of the NFL play and to U.S. cities such as Miami to see Taylor Swift in concert.
“This year, there’s no hard line when it comes to swapping beach towels for cozy sweaters,” said Melanie Fish, head of Expedia Group Brands public relations. “Canadians are re-writing the fall travel playbook and trading pumpkin spice everything for a front row seat to moon festivals, samurai lessons, and alternate destinations with a lower price tag.”
Expedia’s Fall Travel Outlook:
Destination Insights
Booking the beach: Hitting the beach isn’t solely reserved for winter escapes anymore, with searches for Cancun up a whopping 83 percent year-over-year for the fall season. Other trending beach destinations include Playa del Carmen (58 percent), Punta Cana (40 percent), Orlando (21 percent), Turks and Caicos (9 percent) and Honolulu (6 percent).
Packing for Paris: Expedia’s summer data revealed a drop in demand (-35 percent) for France’s capital, suggesting last-minute bookers were keen to avoid the busy crowds during the Summer Games. For autumn, Paris makes a comeback as the seventh most-searched destination overall, with an 11 percent increase YoY as Canadians look to make up for lost time. It’s an especially great time to visit the City of Light, with rates down 10 percent on average.
Era’s expeditions: With Taylor Swift's record-breaking Era’s Tour returning stateside, Canadians are planning more trips to Indianapolis (35 percent), New Orleans (44 percent), and Miami (28 percent), proving that the Tour Tourism phenomenon is still going strong.
Adventures in Asia: Canadians are increasingly drawn to the rich cultures and vibrant cities of Asia, with searches hitting an all-time high for 2024. Kyoto (83 percent), Osaka (69 percent), Seoul (63 percent), Bangkok (62 percent), Taipei (32 percent), and Yamaguchi (18 percent) are among some of the fastest-growing Asian destinations for Canadian travellers.
Let’s go, Buffalo: Football fans are gearing up for home opener weekend in Buffalo 07-08SEP, with lodging searches soaring 140 percent compared to the previous week. Fans are even considering flying to the game, with flight searches showing a significant spike of 325 percent.
Canadian Thanksgiving: While major domestic hubs like Toronto and Vancouver are experiencing a decline in searches compared to last year's long weekend, cities such as Montréal, Victoria and Moncton are gaining popularity for Thanksgiving travels. For sunseekers, Cancun is a hot choice, with search volumes up 78 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, travellers can look for package savings in Las Vegas, with the destination showing fewer searches than average (-16 percent) for the holiday weekend.
Fall foliage favourites: While classic leaf-peeping destinations remain popular, Canadians are seeking a western spin, with Montana experiencing an extraordinary 172 percent increase in searches. Other notable fall foliage destinations of interest include Boston (56 percent), Charlottetown (41 percent), Québec City (20 percent), Edinburgh (9 percent), and Burlington, Vermont (6 percent). Expect to pay more for popular hotspots like Boston, which shows an 11 percent hike in average daily rates compared to summer 2024.
Most Searched Fall Destinations
Based on lodging searches
International
1. Las Vegas
2. Tokyo
3. New York
4. Rome
5. Paris
6. London
7. Barcelona
8. Cancun
9. Orlando
10. Punta Cana
Shoulder Season Steals
Expedia data reveals that overall average daily rates are largely on par with the summer season, but there are still deals to be found for savvy travellers. While autumn hotspots are seeing higher ticket prices compared to the summer months, popular destinations like Palm Springs, Calif; Tulum, Mexico; Manchester, England; and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, are seeing an average price drop of at least 10 percent.
