Vancouver-based ToursByLocals, a leading provider of private tours globally, is shining a light on the latest travel trends among Canadians for fall, as well as offering an early peak at what’s percolating for 2023.
The company, which has served more than 1.7 million travellers since its inception, recently conducted a widespread survey sent to more than 90,000 active travellers in Canada, the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The findings, paired with proprietary data, reveal travel motivations, barriers, and top destinations for fall and beyond.
Among the survey’s findings (specifically related to Canadians) are:
Fall 2022’s top booked destinations:
• Italy
• Portugal
• Spain
• US
• Greece
• France
• UK
• Turkey
• Croatia
• Canada
The top 10 destinations for 2023 (so far…):
• United Kingdom
• Argentina
• Japan
• Italy
• France
• United States
• Chile
• Brazil
• Mexico
• Peru
• Portugal
Noting that 26% of all tours booked so far in 2023 are customized itineraries, reflecting a continued trend towards personalized travel. ToursByLocals president and co-founder Paul Melhus says, “It’s refreshing to see the diversity of destinations Canadians are seeking as we look ahead to 2023. One year ago, international travel was still fairly limited but this summer things really took off.
“European tours dominated our bookings this summer, but we’re seeing an interest in shoulder and off-season travel, and a desire to push boundaries and venture further abroad. It’s great to see Japan coming back after such heavy travel restrictions, as well as countries like Argentina and Brazil.”
Some of the other trends identified include:
International travel is on the rise
• 74% of survey respondents are planning to travel between now and December. Of those, nearly 85% plan to take international trips. “This suggests we’ll see robust sales throughout fall. The data also tells us we’ll continue to experience a shorter than normal booking window, which is a trend being felt across the entire travel industry,” says Paul.
• Looking further ahead, 86% say they are planning to travel internationally in 2023, with only 1% stating they will not travel and 10% indicating they haven’t decided yet. The rest will travel but stay domestic.
• As evidence of cruising’s comeback, nearly 50% (49%) of respondents indicated they are ready to return to sea and plan to take a cruise in 2023. “Current bookings show nearly one of every two tours booked for next year are for shore excursions,” says Paul. “We attribute this to the fact that cruisers are known to book far in advance, but it also shows how quickly the industry is rebounding.”
Airport issues, not COVID dominate traveller concerns
• Congested airports, lost luggage, and flight delays topped the list of primary travel concerns (43%). This is ahead of a resurgence of a COVID (28%), inflation (27%), and the war in Ukraine (23%).
ToursByLocals
Offering fully customized experiences through private guided tours that encompass history, local culture, arts, and experiences, ToursByLocals pays minimum 5% commission to travel agents on each booking (register on the web site). Once an agency has booked CDN$9,700 worth of tours, commission is raised to 10%, and applied retroactively to all tours booked that year.