KAYAK reveals top trending destinations of the year for Canadian travellers

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KAYAK

Jan 17, 2017, 06:59 ET

Havana, Reykjavik and Rio de Janeiro lead the list of Trending Destinations for Canadians; Calgary named a hotspot among North American Travellers in KAYAK's annual Travel Hacker Guide

TORONTO, Jan. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - Havana, Reykjavik, Rio de Janeiro, in. Osaka, Istanbul and Kahului, out.  KAYAK, the world's leading travel search engine, reveals the Top Ten Trending Destinations of the Year according to Canadian traveller search data.1

"Canadians are seeking experiences both rich in culture and history in some of the world's most interesting cities," said David Solomito, VP North America Marketing. "Havana has seen an amazing amount of renewed interest as has Reykjavik, but there are some exciting additions to the list - like Casablanca, Auckland and Manila - proving long distance isn't necessarily a variable when booking a trip."

This year's worth of data uncovers where Canadians are heading to next:

  • Havana is this year's hot spot. While Canadians have always had a love for the historic tourist destination known for its cigars and famous vintage cars, interest in the city skyrocketed with a whopping 230% increase in searches compared to last year. Get there fast before Americans are allowed to start vacationing there, which will likely drive up costs and crowds.
  • Strike while the Reykjavik iron is hot and while you can still score a cool deal. The European hotspot took the #2 spot on KAYAK'S Top Trending Destinations list for Canadians with a 116% increase in searches compared to 2015.
  • Canadian travel to some of last year's top destinations is expected to drop. Osaka was the top trending destination last year, but saw a 41% decrease in searches this year. Florida may also see fewer Canadians; Fort Lauderdale and Panama City's temperatures couldn't keep the cities from cooling down for Canadians.
  • Nashville is "singing your song", Canada. No surprise with attractions and events continuing to expand in this great American city, Nashville sees a 43% increase in searches among Canadian travellers.
  • Canadians will go the distance for a rich cultural experience. KAYAK data shows that long flights aren't always a factor when planning a trip. Long-haul destinations Casablanca, Manila, Auckland and New Delhi all saw 30% + increases in searches.

IN

OUT

Havana - 230%

Osaka - 41%

Reykjavik - 116%

Istanbul - 31%

Rio de Janeiro - 77%

Kahului - 24%

Casablanca - 76%

Brussels - 23%

Auckland - 58%

Hong Kong - 21%

Manila - 44%

Santiago - 20%

Nashville - 43%

Shanghai - 19%

New Delhi - 39%

Panama City - 18%

Guatemala - 36%

Fort Lauderdale - 14%

Bogota - 34%

Buenos Aires - 12%

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1 Methodology: Search dates Sept. 1, 2015 - Dec. 1, 2016 on ca.kayak.com; travel dates Jan. 1, 2016 - Dec. 31, 2016. Trending destinations are those with the largest increase/decrease in year-over-year searches.


KAYAK, as part of its annual Travel Hacker Guide, also reveals that Calgary is one of the hotspots of the year for North Americans,2 gaining 27% more searches and proving Cowtown is a must-visit destination. Known as a gateway to some of the dreamiest ski getaways and the home of the Calgary Stampede, KAYAK data shows it's best to book 2-3 months in advance. Want the best rate on a hotel? Book it for February.3

Solomito also shared tips to help Canadians travel like a pro "We have some great, intuitive features and tools that will arm you with all the information you need to make the right decisions":

  • Check out KAYAK's 2017 Travel Hacker Guide which features insights on what's trending, popular and wallet-friendly among North American travelers. Based on data from over a billion travel searches, the guide is packed with data-driven insights on where to go, when to go and when to book.
  • For North American travelers, KAYAK's data found it's best to book 2-3 months out for Central America, Europe and Asia, but 1-2 months out works for the South Pacific.
  • The explore tool - Enter the budget you have in mind to spend on flights, and KAYAK will tell you all the places you can go within that budget.
  • Flight Hacks - These pro tips will help find the right flight for you.

To start planning your next vacation, visit ca.kayak.com.

ABOUT KAYAK
KAYAK is the world's leading travel search engine. The company's websites and mobile apps allow people to easily search hundreds of travel sites at once for flights, hotels, rental cars and vacation packages. KAYAK processes 1.5 billion annual searches for travel information and operates more than 40 international sites in 20 languages. KAYAK is an independently managed subsidiary of The Priceline Group.

*Methodology: Search dates Sept. 1, 2015 - Dec. 1, 2016 on ca.kayak.com; travel dates Jan. 1, 2016 - Dec. 31, 2016. Trending destinations are those with the largest increase/decrease in year-over-year searches.

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SOURCE KAYAK

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

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