Survey Says Canadians Looking to Stay Close to Home For Travel, But Also Keen to Fly

March 18, 2021 Jim Byers

If a new survey is any indication, Canadian tourism might be in for a decent summer. And airlines might be due for a rebound.

A study by the Canadian firm MarketSense finds that three quarters (77%) of Canadian credit card holders say they’ll travel within Canada once the time is right, and that more than half (54%) will stay within their province.

A quarter of Canadian card holders (25% on the nose) said they’ll travel to the U.S. and 17% said they’d go to Mexico/Caribbean or to Europe. Just nine per cent said they’ll head to Asia.

Having Canadians stay home for their summer travel would go a long way to protecting Canadian tourism jobs, Destination Canada said in a report issued last week.

Because this study is of credit card holders, it could skew older than an overall survey of Canadians. Which might make the numbers more conservative.

There’s some good news for airlines, too. Asked how they’ll travel, 69% of those surveyed by MarketSense said they’d go by car, and 67% said they’d fly. That’s a very narrow difference which suggests that Canadians aren’t worried about getting sick on a flight. And that’s excellent news for Canada’s battered airline industry.

Asked where they’ll stay once they start travelling, 52% of card holders said they’ll head to a hotel, while 20% said they’ll stay with family and friends. Ten per cent said they’ll stay at a rental property, while five per cent said they’d be camping.

Asked if they’re comfortable travelling in the next six to twelve months, only 30% said they were “very” or “somewhat” comfortable, while 17% were neutral. A full 28% said they’re “not very” comfortable with the idea, and 25% said they’re “not at all” comfortable travelling in the next six to twelve months.

Respondents were asked what would make them more comfortable with travelling. Seventy one per cent of card holders said getting a COVID-19 vaccine, while 16% said they’d want to see a reduced number of virus cases in their chosen destination.

Of course, our COVID-19 situation will likely dictate how and when we travel, as will our vaccination rates. Ottawa is going back to the red zone due to recent outbreaks, and there’s talk of a major spike coming in Toronto, so numbers could bend further towards domestic tourism.

Also, as much as it’s great for Canadians to stay home and boost our tourism sector, many businesses say they need the U.S. border open before their bottom line can seriously improve. When that will happen is anyone’s guess.

About the Author