A new poll from suggests rising fuel costs will keep Canadians close to home this Canada Day weekend. But not everyone is convinced they really mean it.
A CheapOair.ca Canada Day Survey found that a majority of Canadians (52%) stated that they would be staying home for Canada Day, and roughly 27% said that they would only drive a short distance. With gas prices setting records for all-time highs, it is not surprising that people are being more selective with their driving. More than 70% of respondents stated that the out-of-control gas prices have affected their Canada Day plans.
“It’s evident that the rising costs in fuel will keep families closer to home.” said Daniel Hayter, Senior Product Manager for CheapOair.ca.
It sounds dire for the battered tourism industry, but not everyone is pushing the panic button.
Pexels photo by mentatdgt.
On a related note, a study by Rakuten found that high costs of domestic travel in Canada are causing many to opt for international getaways instead. 45% of respondents said the high cost of flights within Canada has resulted in them deciding to travel outside the country as flights are often less expensive than within Canada.
Housing/hotel costs also can be a lot lower outside the country. A friend tells me she’s booked a three-bedroom apartment in a seaside village in Portugal for $3,000 CAD for an entire month. If three couples shared the price it would be $1,000 per couple, or only about $33 a day!
The American Automobile Association this week said a record 42 million people around the United States are expected to hit the road for trips over the July 4 Independence Day weekend, despite historically high fuel costs. If that figure holds, it would surpass the previous record of 41.5 million road warriors from 2019, AAA officials said.
“The volume of travelers we expect to see over Independence Day is a definite sign that summer travel is kicking into high gear,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “Earlier this year, we started seeing the demand for travel increase and it’s not tapering off.”
“In the last few months, global concerns about shortages, sanctions and higher costs have had economists sounding alarms,” said James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel. “Despite the rise in costs, travel bookings have more than doubled,” he recently told CNBC.
According to a Mastercard Economics Institute report, flight bookings were up 25% in April compared to pre-pandemic levels. Despite inflation being at its highest in 40 years, the demand for travel, joyful experiences and overall freedom outweighs the rising costs of goods and services, said Christy Kuplic, managing director at Private Luxury Events.
