TORONTO -- A new report looking at the expected travel trends for 2021 suggests that the shift in travel tendencies due to the pandemic may extend well into the New Year.
A report released Monday from Expedia.ca analyzed search data and insights from the Airlines Reporting Corporation to determine that travellers are looking for domestic and last-minute vacations this winter more than previous years.
The report found that Canadians are booking their trips an average of 22 days before the vacation begins, compared to an average of 34 days in 2019. Meanwhile, refundable trips were booked 10 per cent more frequently compared to 2020 and private vacations spots -- vacation homes, cottages and house boats -- were more popular than ever.
“We know that things can change really quickly in our day-to-day lives and so being able to be flexible with your travel plans is really important,” said Expedia spokesperson Mary Zajac in a phone interview with CTVNews.ca. “I think that will be something that we continue to see as we move into 2021.”
According to the report, Canadians are planning to embrace the winter like never before as four of the top 20 most searched destinations for 2021 are Canadian ski resort towns, while another three are more mild areas of British Columbia.
“As travellers within Canada, we will learn to travel differently, learn to experience winter at home,” Zajac said. “There are a lot of great things to experience across our country. Yes, it's cooler, but there are still a lot of things that we can do. Bundle up, get outside and see.”
That said, Canadians still have warmer climates on the brain, with 13 of the top 20 most popular destinations, including the top five, coming from warmer climates.
Zajac said this is a combination of Canadians’ optimism for how the next few months of the pandemic may go and a pent-up wanderlust from people longing for an international vacation.
“People are interested in -- when it is safe and when they're able to get away -- heading to a warm destination and particularly an island, whether it's somewhere in the Caribbean or whether it's even somewhere further like Bali,” Zajac said.
