Revenge Travel, Bucket Lists and Boomers: The Travel Corporation Looks at Canadian Trends

April 11, 2021 Jim Byers

Canadians who’ve been cooped up for more than a year are looking for a bout of “revenge travel.” They’re also planning “bucket list” trips, booking longer trips and planning for women-only excursions.

A new report from The Travel Corporation outlines trends in the Canadian travel industry, and there’s plenty to think about.

“With vaccination efforts ramping up across Canada, generations of wanderlusters are planning their next adventures and looking forward to their future travels,” company officials said. “Leading travel companies Trafalgar, Contiki and Insight Vacations are gearing up to welcome the inevitable return of travel.”

Trafalgar – Gen X and Baby Boomer Trends

Touring category leader among Gen X and baby boomers, Trafalgar, is seeing an increasing demand for longer trip durations and more bucket list destinations, aligning with the emerging trend of ‘revenge travel.’ Canadian travellers are now re-booking their trips for late 2021 and into 2022 and are determined to travel as soon as possible.

“Our travellers, like us, are eager to explore the world again and we are seeing more than ever a trend towards booking dream destinations and one-of-a-kind experiences to check off bucket list trips,” says Wolf Paunic, president of Trafalgar Canada. “After a year at home, people want longer holidays and immersive excursions, without the stress of sorting out the logistics of the ‘new world’ of travel, and Trafalgar is perfectly poised to provide the solution with our ‘Tour Differently’ formula and enhanced wellbeing protocols on each handcrafted trip.”

The top trending destinations among these generations are Japan, South Africa, Egypt and Turkey for 2022 travel, with the 13-day Splendors of Japan with Hiroshima itinerary being one of its most popular trips. Following the successful rollout of vaccines in the UK with more than 31.6 million citizens having received at least one dose of the vaccine, the classic favourites of the UK, Italy and Ireland are seeing a spike in bookings for 2022 and some into 2023. The top trending trips for Trafalgar’s Europe and Britain 2022 bookings are: Irish Experience, Italy Bellissimo, Best of Italy and Best of Ireland and Scotland.

Another popular trend Trafalgar is observing is ‘reunion travel’ as extended family members are keen to see each other again by organizing a memorable group travel experience. Trafalgar offers multi-generational travel and has a “Family Experiences” program inviting children starting from 5 years old to 17 years old to enjoy tailor made and enriching experiences which families can enjoy together such as its Gladiators, Gondolas and Gold tour.

Contiki – Millennial & Gen Z Trends

A notable trend Contiki is noticing is a shift in the millennial and Gen Z demographic towards planning in advance, despite typically being last-minute bookers. Currently, the world leader in travel experiences for 18-35-year-olds is seeing 40% of all new bookings for 2021 while 60% are for 2022, and the brand is also starting to see travellers booking for 2023.

“Our recent ‘Voice of a Generation’ survey revealed 18-35-year-olds are desperate to travel again and are keen to make up for the lost year of travel over 2020,” says Sheralyn Berry, president of ContikiCanada. “The survey showed 87% of young travellers are seeking unique experiences when travel resumes, like safaris and stargazing. They’re not holding back on their future travel plans and the recent booking trends reveal they’re planning in advance so they can put their passports to use as soon as we get the green light, and we can’t wait to welcome them back for more epic adventures,” she adds.

The top trending destinations Contiki reports are Greece, Italy, Ireland and Costa Rica, and overall Europe reigns as the region of choice for young travellers. Thailand bookings are also starting to re-gain popularity for millennials and Gen Z.

(Editor’s note: It’s usually more expensive to fly to Thailand from North America than it is to Europe, but the Canadian dollar will go a LOT further in Thailand than it will in Europe. That makes it ideal for young travellers who haven’t been able to save up for big, expensive trips.)

Aligned with the desire for unique travel experiences as revealed via the recent ‘Voice of a Generation’survey of over 1,200 18-35-year-olds, the brand is also seeing a shift in spending, with average spend per booking increasing as they’re are booking longer “bucket list” trips. While 87% are prioritizing unique experiences like safaris and stargazing, 66% are craving new cultures and culinary adventures and (unsurprisingly) 62% want to get outside and explore the great outdoors.

Insight Vacations – Gen X and Baby Boomer Trends

Insight Vacations is seeing the wanderlust return to Gen X and baby boomers as vaccines become more available, especially with these age groups being prioritized with the first set of vaccinations. These two demographics prefer to plan ahead, and Insight’s ethos of ‘the art of travelling in style’ and is seeing an increase in bookings for their premium tours in 2022. Of all 2022 Canadian guests, 88% are travelling with a partner and/or friend, and 60% of travellers are female. For travel in 2021, small private groups constitute approximately 40% of new bookings.

Insight is acknowledging a trend towards booking bucket list trips and travellers are willing to spend more money to ensure their comfort and well-being. The top 3 trending destinations the brand is seeing are Egypt, Iceland and Ireland, with the top 5 2022 Europe and Britain itineraries being: Country Roads of Scotland, Best of Germany – with Oberammergau, Country Roads of Bavaria, Switzerland and Austria – with Oberammergau, Grand Scandinavia and Best of Ireland and Scotland.

To keep travellers engaged and inspired, Insight has been hosting virtual events to whisk them away to iconic destinations, and Egypt has been the #1 best-attended event amongst travellers. Insight’s sister brand, Luxury Gold has also received recent bookings to this unforgettable destination since it’s always a top bucket list destination. Travellers are excited about the opening of the Egyptian Grand Museum and recently, 20 ancient mummies were moved to this location with a captivating “Pharaohs’ Golden Parade” in the streets of Cairo.

Women-only travel is another trend among Gen X and baby boomers. Insight has seen an increase in Canadian bookings following the launch of its second “Wander Women” tour (“Journeys for Women by Women”) for its 2022 Venice and the Croatian Coast trip. A diverse group of women-only travellers will join TreadRight ‘Planet’ Ambassador, filmmaker and explorer, CélineCousteau on a journey filled with MAKE TRAVEL MATTERExperiences that celebrate women’s achievements in their communities.

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