“With a strong loonie in their pockets, Canadians are on the move this holiday season,” says Sean Shannon, managing director of Expedia.ca. “We expect hotspots for Canadians this holiday season to be increasingly-affordable U.S. sun destinations like Florida, California and Arizona, ever-popular sun destinations like Mexico, Jamaica and Dominican Republic and places for fun winter activities here at home.”

Who’s taking advantage of the high dollar?
Since January 23, 2007, the United States has required Canadians travelling by air to carry a passport, and the same restriction will be in place for land and sea travellers by mid-2008 (1). When it comes to Canadians with passports, Albertans and Ontarians seem to have their documents in hand: 67 per cent of Albertans and 64 per cent of Ontarians currently have a passport. Manitoba and Saskatchewan are perhaps the least prepared to travel outside of the country with just 45 per cent indicating they have a passport.

Turning travel daydreams into reality
Many Canadians have their heads in the clouds – and travel tops the list of things they daydream about. “Taking a trip and getting away from it all” was chosen by 75 per cent of Canadians, comparable to money (73 per cent), and beating out more free time (42 per cent), sex (40 per cent), shopping (24 per cent), food (19 per cent) and fame at 12 per cent. Women (80 per cent) were more likely to daydream about travel compared to men at 70 per cent.

Of all the provinces, Ontarians, at 23 per cent, are the most likely to travel to the U.S. this holiday season. British Columbians are not far behind at 20 per cent. Fourteen per cent of Quebecers are planning to go to the U.S. while another 19 per cent of these well-known snow birds are planning to go to a southern destination outside of the U.S.

Thinking about the strong performance of the dollar, four in 10 Canadians say that a trip to a tropical hot spot would be most appealing. For three in 10, a trip to Europe is the most appealing trip to take advantage of the strong dollar and 14 per cent feel New York is the best place to take advantage of sales and a flush pocketbook. Not surprisingly for those who like a bit of excitement and entertainment, Las Vegas tops the list for one out of nine respondents.

Winter travel by the numbers

• Quebecers are the most likely to travel within their own province at 21 per cent and most likely to visit a southern destination other than the U.S. at 19 per cent.
• British Columbians are most likely to travel to another part of the world at 19 per cent.
• Manitoba and Saskatchewan residents are the least likely to plan a trip within their province – only 4 per cent compared with the national average of 15 per cent.
• Atlantic Canadians and Manitoba and Saskatchewan residents are most likely to travel to another Canadian province this holiday season; at 24 per cent, they far exceed the national average of 11 per cent.

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