Canadians are choosing to spend less on summer travel or not travel at all over financial concerns: Nanos

A look ahead to summer travel Summer of 2022 was plagued with air travel issues but one expert says this summer could likely be the same.

More Canadians are planning on spending less on summer travel or putting their vacation plans on hold completely compared to previous years, according to a new survey conducted by Nanos Research.

This year, 38 per cent of Canadians say they are more likely to spend less on their summer travel plans, an increase from 31 per cent reported in 2015. Additionally, 57 per cent of Canadians say they have no interest in travelling internationally this year.

The poll, commissioned by CTV News, surveyed 1,055 Canadians over the ages of 18 through phone calls — both land and cell lines — and online between June 29 and June 30.

COST IMPACTING TRAVEL PLANNING, MOSTLY FOR YOUNGER CANADIANS

According to the survey, 51 per cent of Canadians say cost is the most important factor when they make summer plans, trumping climate concerns, time off from work, and destination distance. The least important factor Canadians were concerned about when planning a trip was their carbon emissions, according to the survey.

Across Canada, 51.1 per cent of residents in the Atlantic provinces said they will be spending less on their summer vacation plans than they usually would, followed by Quebec with 43.2 per cent, the Prairies with 40.6 per cent, B.C. with 35.3 per cent and Ontario with 33.6 per cent.

Women across Canada said they would be spending less on their vacation, with 41.7 per cent saying they will be decreasing their budget in comparison to 35.3 per cent of men. Younger Canadians were also more likely to say they will be spending less as 42.7 per cent between the ages of 18 and 34 said they would; while 35.3 per cent of those 55 and older agreed.

There was also a decrease in the number of Canadians who said they won't be changing their spending habits as 41 per cent said they wouldn't, down from 51 per cent reported in 2015.

PLANS CANCELLED BUT HOPE REMAINS

While nearly one in five Canadians say their international travel plans remain unchanged, about 60 per cent say they have no interest in travelling internationally during the summer.

Women, again, were more likely than men to lack a desire to travel internationally with 63.7 per cent saying they wouldn't while 51 per cent of men agreed. However, age demographics were shifted in this category compared to the affordability of travel, as 63.4 per cent of older Canadians aged 55 and over said they had no interest, while 52.6 per cent of those 18 to 34 agreed.

However, there was a slight increase in Canada's desire to travel despite not making solid plans, according to the survey. An increase of one per cent was reported this year as 16 per cent said they would like to travel this summer but haven't made any plans.

A separate report from Kayak found despite a surge in flight prices this year, searches for international and domestic flights, hotels and car rentals were up 77 per cent in comparison to last summer.

METHODOLOGY

Nanos conducted this survey both online and through land and cell lines over the phone among 1,055 Canadians over the ages of 18 between June 29th and 30th, 2023. Participants were randomly recruited by telephone using live agents and administered a survey online. The sample included both land- and cell-lines across Canada. The results were statistically checked and weighted by age and gender using the latest Census information and the sample is geographically stratified to be representative of Canada. Individuals randomly called using random digit dialling with a maximum of five call backs. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. This study was commissioned by CTV News and the research was conducted by Nanos Research.