Tracking The Trends

The latest Google travel trends and search insights reveal that Canadians are prioritizing travel beyond the boom that took place when borders first reopened and travel restrictions lifted.

“We’re all very much familiar with the term revenge travel. Coming out of COVID, not being able to travel the past two, three years has propelled Canadians to rethink their values overall — understanding that travel really is an important part of people’s lives,” Matt Smith, Head of Travel Industry at Google Canada, tells Travel Courier. “Travel was at the top of the list and continues to be at the top of that list [of how Canadians are spending their savings]. What I’m seeing now is the question of is it really revenge travel anymore? Or is this just a new way of Canadians expressing their values? Are we expecting travel to continue at a much higher level than we’ve seen in the past? And all the data that we’re showing here is definitely giving us that message.”

In fact, Canadian searches for flights have now surpassed 2019 levels, which is seen as the benchmark year for pre-pandemic travel.

“The really exciting thing this year, which I know travel suppliers have been waiting for and anticipating, is that shift back to international travel, and we’re seeing that in terms of the destinations that Canadians are searching both for spring break, but also looking for their early bookings for summer getaways as well,” Smith says. “Really going back to how people were behaving pre pandemic.”

Check out the full story in the latest issue of TRAVEL COURIER.