The announcement of Canada’s new streamlined border measures – set to kick in next week (Feb. 28) – not surprisingly has furthered a steady increase in traveller interest that has been brewing since late December, confirms Expedia.

The Expedia Group’s Traveler Value Index had previously found that 43% of Canadians said they were planning to travel internationally in the next six months. Now, the latest data, along with Expedia’s Travel Recovery Trend Report for Q4 2021, adds further fuel to the fire. Released last week, the report reveals:

• Global week-over-week searches spiked during the week of Dec. 27 and continued into the first weeks of 2022, with global, North America and European search volumes even higher during the first two weeks of January compared to the last week of December 2021.

• Expedia Cruises search data showed a +35% day-over-day increase from Canadian travellers since the announcement of eased border protocols (including dropping required PCR tests for re-entry), on Feb. 15.

• At the same time, there is a +10% increase of cruise search for Canadian destinations.

• There is about +10% day-over-day increase of air searches from Canadian travellers since the announcement.

• Air search demand by Canadian travellers for international destinations have grown noticeably, e.g. Fort Lauderdale, one of the top destinations, has a +35% of increasing search day-over-day and a +55% last-seven-days growth rate.

As Canadians begin gearing up for their next trip, the research also shed light on consumers travel priorities, such as:

• People will invest more in travel compared to pre-COVID-19, with Canadians expected to spend on average more than $2,500 on their next trip.

• Travellers will be looking to engrain sustainability into their next vacation, with 59% willing to pay more in fees to make their trip more sustainable

• Similarly, 48% of travellers will choose a destination that is lesser-known/ less crowded to reduce the effects of over-tourism.

To see the full report Q4, including “actionable insight” in the trends, click HERE.