Soaring Costs Holding Canadians Back from Booking Travel This Summer

A new poll casts a pall on optimism about Canadians’ summer travel spending, despite travel consortia, host agencies and suppliers like airlines reporting blockbuster bookings, as Open Jaw has reported.

A Nanos poll of over 1000 Canadian adults conducted at the end of JUN for CTV News has found that more Canadians are planning on spending less on travel this summer than last summer – or even cancelling plans to travel altogether.

It’s no surprise to Canada’s travel trade that cost is high on the list of factors for travellers when deciding on plans, and the survey found that’s the top priority for 51 per cent of Canadians.

With reported surges in flight and other travel-related prices this year, that’s taking a bite out of travel bookings.

OTA Kayak reports that searches for international and domestic flights, hotels and care rentals were up 77 per cent over last summer.

But the new Nanos survey says that’s not necessarily translating into spending.

According to the poll results, 38 per cent of Canadians say they are spending less on summer travel this year than last.

Residents of Atlantic Canada were most hesitant, with over 51 per cent saying they’ll spend less than usual on travel this summer. Quebec and the Prairie provinces also were more reluctant to spend than the rest of Canada, while only 35 per cent of B.C. residents, and just a third of Ontarians say they’ll spend less.

More women than men admit they’re cutting their travel budgets this year, and those between 18-34 are much more likely (43 per cent) to reduce travel spending this summer over last summer than the over-55 age group (at 35 per cent.)

And over half of Canadians (about 60 per cent) report no interest in travelling abroad at all this summer season.

While the spiking cost of travel is giving many Canadians pause, according to the survey, there remains hope: some potential travellers may just be biding their time. Compared to last year, 1 per cent more Canadians – 16 per cent – report the desire to travel even though they haven’t yet made any plans.