Despite economic climate, most Canadians still plan to vacation

In the midst of frigid temperatures and a sub-zero economic climate, seven in 10 (69 percent) Canadians say they’re still planning to take a vacation within the next year.

In the midst of frigid temperatures and a sub-zero economic climate, seven in 10 (69 percent) Canadians say they’re still planning to take a vacation within the next year.

And when it comes to their destination of choice, half of Canadians (49 percent) say they plan to travel outside of Canada and one third (33 percent) say they are considering taking a cruise for their next vacation.

“Canadians still value their vacations and they’ve clearly had enough of winter,” says Stuart MacDonald, president and CEO of online travel resource Tripharbour.ca. “Whether it’s a trip south to warmer climes in the next few months, or a cruise to Alaska or Europe later this year, a lot Canadians are putting vacations first and already booking their annual getaways.”

According to the Ipsos Reid/Triphabour.ca survey, British Columbians are most likely (56 percent) to take a vacation outside of Canada in the next year, followed by those living in Alberta (54 percent), Ontario (51 percent), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (49 percent), Quebec (43 percent) and Atlantic Canada (42 percent).

While two in 10 Canadians have taken a cruise vacation in the past, one third of those surveyed say they would consider taking a cruise for their next vacation. “The number of enquiries we’ve had at Triphabour.ca about winter and summer escapes has shot way up since early January,” says MacDonald. “There’s always been a strong correlation between cold weather and cruise bookings, especially to warm-weather destinations like the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. But we’ve also had a lot of enquiries about cruises to Europe, the Mediterranean and Alaska for the spring, summer and fall. The special incentives and discounted fares being offered by cruise lines to get people up the gang plank seem to be offsetting any concerns they have about the economy.”

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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