What’s Your Preference?
In its 2014 Flip Flop report, Expedia.ca takes a look at the beach behaviour and preferences amongst global travellers. According to the study, two-thirds of Canadians (67%) are likely to take a beach vacation in the near future – and they don’t need any special reason to do so, with 84% of those very or somewhat likely to take a beach vacation in the next 12 months saying they’ll be going south without any special occasion or event in mind.
Sean Shannon, managing director of Expedia Canada, commented: “With the cold weather ramping up, it’s no surprise Canadians are eager to head to sand and sun. Regardless of where you want to go to escape winter, or the kinds of things you want to do when you get there, Expedia.ca is your one-stop shop for everything Canadians need to plan and book a ‘fly and flop’ winter vacation.”
And when it comes to unwinding, Canadians can keep up with the best of them coming in second (54%) among global travellers surveyed who like to enjoy alcoholic beverages during a beach holiday. This was second only to Mexicans (58%) and just ahead of the Irish (53%).
While indulging in libations is on Canadians’ list, it’s not in a loud, party setting. Rather, Canadians are in line with the global average of 88% of sun seekers who want a “serene, calm” beach destination over a “wild, party” spot. And when it comes to the type of trip travellers are seeking, Canadians are more likely than their global counterparts to opt for an all-inclusive vacation for their next beach getaway (42%).
On the other hand, almost one-half of Canadians (47%) say they are more adventurous on beach vacations taken outside of Canada. Amongst adventurous activities is “getting frisky” on the beach, which one in five Canadians (20%) have claimed to do while on vacation. Others have admitted to have shown off some skin by wearing a speedo or revealing bathing suit (14%) and another 13% have gone nude or topless. However, not all Canadians are willing to show off skin – 37% believe speedos are not acceptable on the beach.
As vacations are all about indulgences, one in two (49%) Canadians selected sleeping in or napping as their number one indulgence while on a beach vacation, followed by eating more than they normally would (44%) and consuming more alcohol than normal ranked just as indulgent as being more intimate with their partner (41%).
As for where they’re going, when it comes to their preferred beach destination, more than 1.3 million Canadians will visit Mexico this winter, according to the Conference Board of Canada. This is a 5.8% increase over last winter.
Shannon observed, “Mexico has consistently been a favourite winter getaway destination for Canadian sun-seekers. In fact, three of the top ten most popular all inclusive destinations booked on Expedia.ca are in Mexico, with Cancun topping the list. Of the range of beach vacation destinations where we offer all-inclusive vacations, Canadians continue to have an ongoing love for Mexico.”
(http://www.expedia.ca/perfectbeachvacation)
