BEER DRINKING OPTIONAL:Corona auction site supports travel in Canada

If travelling makes Americans happier the thought of having a beer while doing so is bound to be even better, believes Corona Canada, which has launched a travel auction program for consumers to buy pre-purchased Canadian travel experiences.

The “Rediscover the Outdoors” program offers continually updated product from Travelzoo, ranging from weekend wilderness excursions to an afternoon spent paddle boarding.

Consumers bid on a local travel experience of choice in $10 increments with package prices starting at 50 percent of the retail value, and winning bids cannot exceed the posted value of the package. The auction ends when time expires or when someone submits a bid for the posted value of the travel package.

“As a brand, Corona has long been synonymous with the enjoyment and discovery of nature and the great outdoors,” says Mike Bascom, Senior Marketing Director, Corona Canada. “Having seen the devastating impact of the global pandemic on the Canadian travel industry this summer, we felt now was the time to launch a program that could help inspire greater awareness and support for local tourism, especially as we head into the fall/winter travel season.”

Auction proceeds will be reinvested back into the program to create more travel experiences, thereby continuing to support Canada’s tourism industry, says the company.

To support the endeavour, Corona Canada engaged Ipsos to survey Canadians at the end of August on their current travel habits during the pandemic, with eight in 10 Canadians (83%) stating that there is a lot to see and do from coast to coast in Canada and six in 10 (58%) saying they want to do their part to support Canadian tourism by travelling locally.

Other results include:

• 71% remain cautious about air travel
• 48% are comfortable going on vacation as long as they don’t have to fly
• 42% are willing to spend up to 12 hours driving to their vacation destination
• 40% are planning a Canadian vacation during the fall or winter holidays
• 64% of Gen X’ers and 63% among Boomers want to book Canadian
• 39% say they’re looking for unique outdoor Canadian travel experiences (rising to 45% of Gen Z and 47% of Millennials)
• 36% view the pandemic as an opportunity to see more of Canada
• 52% agree that they will opt to explore Canada even when international travel picks up again

The auction portal will be open through Oct. 31 featuring packages from across the country (Quebec to be added Sept. 14). It can be found HERE.

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