Us vs. U.S. travel tastes exposed: Canadians' appetite for adventure, bargains and 'more Canada' shine in KAYAK'S 2019 Travel Trend Forecast

New data reveals how travel destinations differ compared to our Southern neighbours and within Canada, coast-to-coast

TORONTO, Jan. 7, 2019 /CNW/ - KAYAK, the world's leading travel search engine, has released its 2019 Travel Trend Forecast unveiling where you live may have an impact on where you travel.

KAYAK's data reveals that Canadians have soared past their U.S. neighbours, as North America's more adventurous travellers. With seven of the top 10 most popular destinations beyond the borders of Canada, including New Delhi, London and Paris, Canadians have their sights set far and wide in comparison to Americans, where nine out of the top 10 most popular destinations fall within the United States.

Trending destinations like Male, Maldives and Cartagena, Colombia have caught the attention of Canadian jetsetters with searches up 215 per cent and 193 per cent respectively. Europe appears to attract Canadian & American travellers alike, with a notable difference being that Canadians are drawn to more niche cities such as Sofia, Dubrovnik and Porto, whereas the tried-and-true tourist destinations such as Rome, Munich and Paris are still gaining momentum amongst Americans.

"When looking at this year's up and coming cities for both Americans and Canadians, it's clear that international travel is top of mind. But, our most popular destinations reveal Canadians are actually following through with their international travel plans and turning their fantasies into realities," says Steve Sintra, Canada Country Manager, KAYAK. "KAYAK's data also demonstrates how travel trends can differ across the country, which may be influenced by different cultures, geography or a desire to seek something different than what their city has to offer."

The 2019 Travel Trend Forecast delves into the various travel personalities across the nation and how Canadian travel habits differ depending on where they live:

• Vancouverites have a hunger for cultural experiences making bustling Asian cities like Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong popular choices.
• Torontonians are the party people of Canada, travelling to buzzworthy cities with boisterous nightlife including Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Paris and Miami.
• Montreal residents are the sun-seekers through-and-through—always looking to escape the cold temperatures and warm up in destinations like Cancun, Casablanca and Orlando.
• Calgarians are the homebodies and middle-grounders, literally and figuratively. When it comes to travel destinations, Calgarians choose close-to-home North American cities like Toronto, Phoenix, San Francisco and Montreal.
• Edmonton residents are the friendly Canadian neighbours, looking to their Western friends in British Columbia for a good time. Popular destinations include Abbotsford, Kelowna and Vancouver.

It's clear that 2019 is the year of adventure, but Canadians are also becoming increasingly keen on exploring their own backyard. For the first time since tracking Canadian travel trends, KAYAK has seen more Canadian cities included in the Travel Forecast than ever before. Toronto took the number one spot on KAYAK's most popular list with cities like Vancouver (#3) and Calgary (#10) also making the cut. It is also the first time a Canadian city has made an appearance on KAYAK's list of trending destinations (destinations that have seen the largest increase in searches year over year)- Edmonton snagged the #5 spot with searches up 161 per cent.

Better yet, KAYAK's 2019 travel trends show Canada is becoming more affordable with four Canadian destinations scoring top spots on this year's wallet-friendly list including Victoria, Calgary, Vancouver and Quebec City—a departure from last year when only one Canadian city made an appearance on the list. Median airfare to all four cities is under $530, but budget-conscious travellers looking for a deal should check Vancouver off their bucket list in 2019—not only are flight prices under $500 but median airfare has dropped 11 per cent compared to last year.

Travelling soon or looking for a specific type of trip? KAYAK has rounded up its top travel picks for every occasion.

• Most Instagrammable Destination: Burano Island, Venice, Italy
• Top Foodie Destination: Bangkok, Thailand
• Top Honeymoon Destination: Marrakesh, Morocco
• Best Group Trip Destination: Nashville, Tennessee
• Top Bachelor / Bachelorette Destination: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• Best Adventure Destination: Queenstown, New Zealand
• Top Family Destination: Niagara Falls, Ontario
• Up-and-Coming Destination: Abbotsford, British Columbia
• Best Travel Deals:
• Best Canadian Deals in January: Vancouver (28 per cent price drop)
• Best International Deals in January: Belize City (26 per cent drop)
• Best Canadian Deals in February: Calgary (11 per cent price drop)
• Best International Deals in February: Casablanca (10 per cent price drop)

For more ideas and inspiration, visit KAYAK's 2019 Travel Hacker Guide, which offers insights for all North American travellers.

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 Booking Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: BKNG). For more information, visit www.KAYAK.com.

Methodology

Unless otherwise indicated, KAYAK considered searches conducted on the Canada KAYAK site between June 1, 2018 through December 1, 2018 for travel from Canada occurring between January 1, 2019 through June 1, 2019. 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

Caitie Wallman, [email protected]