Survey: Canadians seek connectivity & trips closer to home

Skyscanner has released its latest Horizons report, highlighting insights into booking windows, destination choices, and trending destinations across Canada.

The analysis is based on Skyscanner’s proprietary forward-looking Travel Insight Data, comparing traveller behaviour and search trends year-over-year.

Across the board, travellers are planning further ahead compared to the previous year, marking a return to traditional seasonality in 2024. Travellers in Canada are booking further out, with increases in the share of the longest booking window (90+ days), now making up a third of demand.

“Our latest Horizon insights reveal a travel landscape that is both familiar and evolving. While traditional seasonality is returning and popular destinations remain in demand, travellers are also seeking value and exploring options closer-to-home,” said Zeynep Mutlu Bigalı, head of destination partnerships, Skyscanner. “Across Skyscanner’s platforms we have seen incredible demand at the start of the year and we expect this to continue as we head into the summer.”

Shorter trips to trending destinations

With a diverse destination mix, Canadian travellers are showing a growing interest in South America and North Asia, alongside traditional favourites in Europe, indicating a shift towards new experiences and value in 2024.

Across all regions, average trip lengths are slightly down or flat year-over-year for many popular destinations.

In Canada, global destinations are most searched for, with “Everywhere” topping the list, followed by Tokyo and European capitals. San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina and Orlando, Florida are also popular choices amongst Canadians.

Destinations with the biggest year-over-year increases in search volumes reflect a mix of wanting to explore new places, as well as those with new route connections.

For Canadian travellers, top destinations include San Carlos de Bariloche, Tokyo, Madrid, and Orlando, alongside Medellin, Colombia; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Ushuaia, Argentina; Porto Seguro, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; and Tunis, Tunisia.

For the full report, click here.