Cartagena Named Canada's #1 2018 Trending Destination, According to KAYAK

New data reveals this year's hottest cities, 2018's top deal destinations and the most and least expensive months of the year to travel

TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2018 /CNW/ - New data from KAYAK's 2018 Travel Forecast reveals Canadian travelers and trend-setters are headed for adventure in 2018 - nine out of the top ten trending destinations (those seeing the biggest spike in interest year over year) are outside of Canada.

Cartagena, Colombia topped this year's trending list with a 58% increase in travel searches year over year. Despite Bogota taking the #10 spot last year, increased flight routes, record low crime rates and a booming economy are making Cartagena a must for savvy jetsetters.

Destinations like Phuket, Osaka, Bali and the Maldives also topped this year's list of trending destinations for Canadians proving trip length and duration are not necessarily a factor when booking a trip.

"Flying within Canada can cost travelers a small fortune. Perhaps because of this, we see less Canadians travel domestically, looking instead to destinations where they can maximize their time off while getting the best bang for their buck," said David Solomito, VP NA marketing, KAYAK. "The Maldives, for example, is a destination Canadians should keep on their radar for 2018. Not only did it take the #6 spot on this year's top trending list, but flight prices are down 31% for the first half of 2018 making it easier and more affordable to explore than previous years."

In addition to this year's hottest vacation spots, KAYAK's data also uncovers 2018's top deal destinations and insights on the best and worst months of the year to travel to score a deal.

KAYAK's top 2018 Travel Hacks include:

• For domestic flights, fly in April when median airfare is at its lowest. Historical data reveals budget-conscious travelers should consider taking their summer vacation a bit earlier this year. Flying domestically in April compared to December could save travelers more than $150.
• Avoid traveling internationally in July when flight prices are at their highest. While December is typically one of the most expensive months to travel thanks to the holidays, it's actually July that takes the cake for international travelers with airfare upwards of $1,000. Consider flying in February instead when median flight prices drop under $670.
• There are travel deals to be had in the US. Not only are most cities a quick and easy flight away, now they will be cheaper to fly into: Boston, Dallas, Palm Springs, Chicago, Denver and Tampa are all seeing prices drop by at least 9% compared to last year.
• Head west without breaking the bank. Budget-conscious travelers looking to keep it local should consider Saskatoon, Edmonton and Kelowna - all of which are seeing flight prices drop by at least 30% compared to last year.
• Searching for a trip but not yet ready to book? Procrastinators may be rewarded by flight deals this summer as new low cost carriers continue to enter Canada bringing lower fares domestically, to Europe and across the border to the US.

For all of KAYAK's 2018 highlighted destinations, check out the full lists below:

Top 10 Trending Destinations Among Canadian Travelers (destinations with the greatest percent increase in searches year over year)

1. Cartagena, Colombia- Searches up 58%
2. Casablanca, Morocco- Searches up 51%
3. Phuket, Thailand- Searches up 50%
4. Osaka, Japan- Searches up 49%
5. Bali, Indonesia- Searches up 46%
6. Male, Maldives- Searches up 44%
7. Jacksonville, Florida- Searches up 38%
8. Faro, Portugal- Searches up 38%
9. Oranjestad, Aruba- Searches up 37%
10. Kahului, Hawaii- Searches up 36% 

Top 10 Deal Destinations among Canadian Travelers (destinations that have decreased in flight price year over year)

1. Male, Maldives- Flight prices down 31%
2. Boston, Massachusetts- flight prices down 19%
3. Dallas, Texas- Prices down 16%
4. Palm Springs, California- Prices down 15%
5. Chicago, Illinois- Prices down 12%
6. Denver, Colorado- Prices down 11%
7. Jacksonville, Florida- Prices down 11%
8. Belize City, Belize- Prices down 11%
9. Copenhagen, Denmark- Prices down 10%
10. Tampa, Florida- Prices down 9%

Top 10 Most Popular Destinations among Canadians (The most searched for destinations on KAYAK)

1. Orlando, Florida 
2. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
3. Cancun, Mexico 
4. Honolulu, Hawaii 
5. San Jose, Costa Rica
6. Las Vegas, Nevada
7. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
8. Miami, Florida
9. Los Angeles, California
10. Kahului, Hawaii

For more ideas and inspiration, visit KAYAK's 2018 Travel Hacker Guide, which offers insights for all North American travelers.

About KAYAK
KAYAK helps millions of travelers around the globe make confident travel decisions. As the world's leading travel search engine, KAYAK searches other sites to show travelers the information they need to find the right flights, hotels, rental cars and vacation packages. KAYAK is an independently managed subsidiary of The Priceline Group.  For more information, visit www.KAYAK.com.

Methodology
Unless otherwise indicated, we considered searches conducted on the Canada KAYAK site between June 1, 2017 through December 1, 2017 for travel from Canada occurring between January 1, 2018 through June 1, 2018. All flight searches are round-trip economy flights using median airfare and excludes price outliers based on certain criteria. All searches were pulled from KAYAK's internal database. Prices may vary.

SOURCE KAYAK

Miriam Fitting, Golin on behalf of KAYAK, [email protected], 416-483-6225 ext. 3440