A new survey from Virtuoso has identified when, where, and why (and how) upscale Canadians will be venturing in 2023. Notably, that includes a propensity for using travel agents, as well as other trends that differ from global norms.
In Virtuoso’s 2022 Brand and Travel Trends Research, conducted in collaboration with YouGov, more than 500 Canadian travellers were surveyed. The majority – 75% – listed relaxation and disconnecting as the primary incentive for taking a leisure trip, followed by adventure, which is almost twice as important for Canadians than for global travellers (41% versus 25%).
Additional revelations include an affinity for sunny destinations, expedition cruises and a willingness to spend big and stay longer.
Warm-Weather Getaways
Virtuoso’s study showed 61% of travellers preferred beach vacations, followed by city exploration (47%). Canadians are equally as likely to travel to Europe as they are to travel within their own country, and they showed a preference for the Caribbean or West Indies (36% versus 20% globally) and Mexico (30% versus 16% globally), which is likely due to a desire to escape to warmer climates during the winter months.
Family Travel: Exploration Boosts Child Development
Canadians indicated the most popular ways to travel are with a spouse or significant other and multi-generational family travel. Travelling with school-age children is consistently popular. Over half of those surveyed believe travel is important to the development of children under 18.
Spending Big and Staying Longer
Relative to 2019, travellers plan to spend 12% more in 2023 and the anticipated annual spend for Virtuoso-advised travellers in 2023 is even higher at $20,000 p.p. While Virtuoso clients took about the same number of trips in the past year as other travellers, Virtuoso-advised travellers took longer trips, spent more nights in hotels, rentals, and cruises, and skewed more towards international trips.
Travel Advisors vs. DIY: No Contest
Canadians favour using travel advisors more than other travellers globally, and 73% of those surveyed typically research a trip two to eight months in advance. They are also twice as likely to care about creating a travel experience that best fits their expectations over price (66% Virtuoso-advised travellers versus 33% DIY).
Meanwhile, non-advised travellers spent $8,400 p.p. on travel in 2022, while Virtuoso’s Canadian clients spent $19,600 p.p. – suggesting they prioritize travel more than others and also highly value their travel advisor. Surveyed travellers cite special benefits and values, complimentary perks and upgrades, VIP treatment and rare access, advisors’ firsthand expertise and a global network of agencies as the top reasons for booking with a Virtuoso travel advisor.
“Virtuoso has more than 2,300 travel advisors in Canada located coast-to-coast, and this number has grown by 13% since 2019,” said General Manager, Virtuoso Canada Úna O’Leary. “Travellers look to advisors to save them time, provide expert guidance and offer an extra layer of protection if something goes wrong.”
Top Travel Destinations for 2023
Virtuoso tapped into its data warehouse of more than US$63.6 billion in transactions to determine the top destinations of 2023, as determined by Canada-based travellers:
1. Mexico – Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos
2. Canada – Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary
3. United States – Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas
4. Dominican Republic – Punta Cana, Puerto Plata
5. United Kingdom – London
6. Jamaica – Montego Bay
7. Italy – Rome, Venice
8. France – Paris, Nice
9. Australia – Sydney
10. Portugal – Lisbon, Faro
The by-invitation-only Virtuoso global travel agency network specializes in luxury and experiential travel and comprises over 1,200 travel agency locations with more than 21,000 travel advisors in 54 countries, and boasts preferred relationships with more than 2,300 of the world’s top hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations.