Canadian travellers have their sights set on set on a half-dozen popular destinations while Vancouverites express the most interest in Los Angeles.
After over two years of pandemic-imposed border restrictions, many Canadians were eager to book flights, cruises, hotel stays, and vacation packages across the globe.
While many locals prefer to travel within B.C. or in Canada, a new report finds that many people booked travel across the border and overseas.
American Express announced its list of 2023 Trending Destinations, identified by global American Express Cardmember travel bookings. The company's travel consultants created three-day itineraries, which feature places to stay, eat, shop, and explore the local culture for each of the most popular destinations.
From the list, Canadian Cardmember bookings have increased compared to 2019 to the following destinations specifically:
Travel in Canada to cities across the globe
Residents of Canada's biggest cities didn't share the same taste in travel destinations, however. In Toronto, for example, the most popular choice was Fort Lauderdale in Florida, while Vancouverites had their sights set on Los Angeles.
Of course, these cities are also more accessible from each city, which has an impact on their popularity. A flight from Vancouver International Airport to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has a connection and takes upwards of seven hours in total. In contrast, Torontonians enjoy a three-hour, direct service to the Floridian vacation destination.
But proximity has little to do with the favourite vacation destination of residents of Quebec's largest city.
Locals in Montreal selected Paris, known as the "city of lights," as their destination of choice.
According to American Express Canada Travel and Lifestyle Services (TLS), travel to these cities and more accounts for a "33.88 per cent increase in bookings through TLS compared to 2019 and a 181 per cent increase in bookings compared to 2021."
Additionally, the credit card company is already seeing increased demand for peak travel times, such as March Break, to southern destinations including Central America, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
