The 2022 edition of the annual Toyota Canada Summer Road Trip Survey conducted by Ipsos revealed that Canadians may be feeling that a “return to normal” is on the horizon.
The poll found that nearly all (91%) Canadians are planning to reinstate activities that they had to set aside over the past few years. For some, their summer plans include visiting friends and family, taking more vacation time and, even though gas prices are on the rise, taking international road trips.
Road-trippers are ready to hit the road and, for some, the border
The survey found that three quarters of Canadians (77%) are likely to travel outside their city/town, 43% outside the province and 24% may take a trip across the international border. 33% of Canadians with access to a vehicle (own, lease, borrow, rent) are planning to drive seven hours or more (16% 7-10 hours, 8% 11-24 hours, 9% more than 24 hours) to reach their road trip destinations, while another 31% are willing to drive four to six hours from home.
IF YOU’RE HEADED TO ONTARIO THIS SUMMER, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY E-BOOK. It’s called Ontario Escapes: 19 Great Places to Visit Right Now. It’s available at Apple Books (and only at Apple Books) for just $4.99; about the price of a coffee latte. It’s filled with great information for trips all around the province, if I do say so myself.
A Thousand Islands boat tour near Kingston, Ontario. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Along the way, many hope to spend their time doing things that make them feel relaxed (67%) and excited (53%).
Many Canadians planning to take more vacation this summer
Canadians are increasingly taking advantage of opportunities to step away from work. Four in ten (39%) Canadians are planning to take more vacation time this summer than they did last year. While the majority of Canadians indicate they will take one (38%) or two (29%) weeks of vacation, some (13%) say they will take three weeks of vacation, while nearly one in five (19%) say they will take four or more weeks of holiday this summer.
Rising gas prices are a consideration, but not a deterrent
The increasing price of gas has certainly added a new consideration for road tripping this summer. But, while more than half (53%) of respondents stated that gas prices have had an influence on their road trip plans, 47% say they are not affected. Those planning trips are finding ways to save on gas, like taking shorter trips (22%) or ensuring their vehicle is properly serviced (20%), however 27% of respondents are so excited about their summer road trips that they aren’t worried about saving on gas.
The survey also found a burgeoning interest in using electrified vehicles for road trips: 54% of Canadians agree they’d feel better about going on a road trip in a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery-electric vehicle for fuel efficiency and cost savings reasons, while 47% highlighted the environmental benefits of an electrified vehicle.
Reconnecting with friends and family are the main motivators for road trips
For those intending to take a road trip, the driving factor for many is the opportunity to reconnect with their wider social circles: 56% say their destination is a family/friend’s home. Other common destinations include: an overnight stay in another city/town (52%), the beach (34%), national/provincial parks (31%), campgrounds (30%), and cabins/cottages (25%). Visiting family (44%) and visiting friends (43%) are among the experiences most are planning to revisit this year, along with festivals / concerts / cultural events (25%) and indoor attractions such as museums, malls and theatres (28%).
“Over the last few years, many Canadians told us that spending time in nature was the primary goal of their summer road trips,” said Stephen Beatty, Vice President, Corporate at Toyota Canada. “By contrast, there’s much more buzz in the air this year as people are excited to take road trips to reconnect with their wider circles of family and friends, and to once again enjoy larger-scale summer events like concerts, festivals and sporting events.”
Some regional highlights include:
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12% of British Columbians with access to a vehicle are road trip warriors and plan to drive 11 to 24 hours to get to their road trip destinations
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32% of Albertans prefer more spacious vehicles so they can travel with more friends and family
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In the Prairies, 40% are planning to cultivate their love for outdoors and go camping
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28% of Ontarians are planning to take an international road trip
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Ready to hit the road no matter what, 45% of Quebecers say gas prices have not affected their plans at all
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49% of Atlantic Canadians are planning to leave their province on their road trips this summer
More Swoop and Lynx flights within Canada: New Brunswick and Victoria Service Added
Victoria’s Butchart Gardens is considered one of the best in the world. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Swoop this week launched its inaugural flight to the Saint John Airport from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Saint John is a lovely city on the water in New Brunswick that I always enjoy visiting. Earlier this week, Swoop marked its first flight into New Brunswick with an inaugural service between Hamilton and Moncton. Later this summer, the airline will launch service from Moncton to Edmonton. Swoop is expanding rapidly across the country, focusing on Atlantic Canada, where demand for affordable air service has reached new heights.
Lynx Air’s first flight from Victoria International Airport took to the skies on Thursday, marking the commencement of twice weekly return services to Calgary international Airport. In the lead up to summer, Lynx will expand its return services between Victoria and Calgary to three times a week, offering 1,100 seats a week on this popular route.
Canada’s new ultra-affordable airline is on a mission to make air travel accessible to all Canadians and, in keeping with that mission, Lynx is offering fares to Victoria from as low as $49 one way. Lynx’s network spans 10 destinations coast to coast across Canada, including Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto Pearson, Hamilton, Halifax, and St. John’s. The airline operates a fleet of brand-new, fuel-efficient Boeing 737 aircraft and plans to grow its fleet to more than 46 aircraft over the next five to seven years.
Earlier this week, Lynx announced the addition of two Halifax routes to its network, creating links from Halifax to each of Calgary and Edmonton. These services are in addition to the previously announced services between Halifax and each of Hamilton and Toronto, which will commence on June 29, 2022 and June 30, 2022, respectively.
As of July 14, 2022, Lynx will commence five through-flights a week each way from Calgary to Halifax. On July 30, 2022, the airline will commence two through-flights a week each way from Edmonton to Halifax. At that point, Lynx will be flying a total of 14 flights a week in and out of Halifax, which is more than 2,600 seats weekly.
