With more Canadians getting vaccinated and borders beginning to reopen, a new survey commissioned by Sunwing has revealed a pent-up demand for travel that suggests that more than half of Canadians intend to travel in the next year and an equal amount during the upcoming holiday season.
The survey was conducted among members of the Angus Reid Forum July 19-20 with a nationally representative sample of 1,533 Canadians, in both English and French.
Results indicated that 58% of Canadians plan on returning to travel in the next 12 months, while 57% of Canadians with at least one dose of the vaccine intend on travelling this upcoming holiday season. Additionally, 68% of those respondents said they are interested in an all-inclusive vacation.
“As we emerge from the pandemic following almost a year without travel, we’re seeing more demand than ever before,” says Sunwing president of tour operations, Andrew Dawson. “As our research shows, holiday and winter departures are becoming increasingly popular as Canadians look to make up for last year’s lockdown. We’re already seeing some of the most popular resorts selling out on key winter dates, which rarely happens so early in the booking cycle. We recommend travellers book soon to secure their piece of paradise under our wing.”
The survey also uncovered that there is a growing interest in group bookings: younger travellers are especially eager to vacation as a group, with almost 40% of respondents aged 18-34 indicating they would be travelling with friends on their next getaway.
Additionally, more than one-third (38%) of all respondents who plan on travelling in the next 12 months indicated an interest in vacationing with family members, while nearly three-quarters (71%) expressed an intent to travel with their partner or significant other.
“We’re seeing some exciting new travel trends emerge as Canadians plan their highly anticipated vacations,” stated Sunwing Chief Marketing Officer Samantha Taylor. “Group getaways are becoming increasingly sought after, as family and friends plan to reunite at an all-inclusive resort, while travelling with a significant other is another popular choice. This shows that there is heightened demand for frictionless vacation experiences – just book, travel and enjoy.”
Additional survey insights include:
• Residents of British Columbia are significantly more likely to be planning leisure travel this holiday season, with 71% indicating they would be travelling this winter
• 68% of respondents from across the country who plan on travelling within the next year are interested in an all-inclusive vacation, with the most interest from Saskatchewan and Manitoba (78%) and Atlantic Canada (73%)
• Respondents from BC (71%), Saskatchewan (64%) and Alberta (61%) were most interested in travelling during the upcoming holiday season.
Effective today (July 30) Sunwing has resumed flights to select destinations.