Demand for travel shows no signs of slowing, and there are positive signs for business travel and travel to Asia, a new study says.
Expedia’s Traveler Insights report for the third quarter of 2022 paints a far rosier picture for the industry than would’ve been the case a year ago. Almost one-half of consumers surveyed said they have plans to travel internationally, and they’re also more willing to book a year or more in advance.
Expedia said interest in Thailand and Hong Kong is on the rise, and that online searches for trips to Japanese cities rose 60% in the third quarter of 2022.
Officials said interest in family travel and business travel are both showing solid growth, with biz travel up 10% in the quarter.
“There’s fantastic momentum for the year ahead,” they said.
For the third quarter of this year, the most booked destinations by people in North America were New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Chicago, Cancun, London, Boston, San Francisco and Miami. For North American families, the top five booked destinations in Q3 were Niagara Falls, Cancun, London, Punta Cana and Paris.
Niagara Falls, Ontario. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Expedia executives said exotic stays in castles and villas were very popular in Q3 as travellers “look to make up for lost time.”
Forty six per cent of those surveyed around the world said travel is more important to them now than it was pre-pandemic, while 43% said they were increasing their travel budget for 2023.
Expedia said 76% of those who took part in the survey said they plan to extend a work trip for leisure purposes in the next 12 months, while 28% said they plan to work remotely.
As well, 90% of those surveyed said they’re looking to more sustainable travel in the future. Fifty per cent said they’ll pay more for sustainable travel options.
AIR PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS MOSTLY UPHELD
Canadian Press reports that Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal will uphold all but one of the rules that bolster compensation for air passengers subjected to delayed flights and damaged luggage.
The court on Tuesday dismissed the appeal that challenged the validity of the passenger Bill of Rights, with the exception of one regulation that applies to the temporary loss of baggage.
Porter Airlines, Air Canada and 16 other parties argued the bill violates global standards and should be rendered invalid for international flights.
It’s a big win for consumers.
MORE PORTER EXPANSION DETAILS
The Toronto Star is reporting more details about the Porter jets I reported on yesterday. The Star quotes Porter CEO Michael Deluce as saying the launch date for flights out of Toronto Pearson airport will be made public in “a matter of days.”
Porter’s new Embraer jets will have two-across seating, which means no middle seat. They also will have two types of fares: Porter Classic and Porter Reserve. Porter Classic will have free beer or wine and free snacks, while Porter Reserve includes more leg room, no fee for flight changes, two free checked bags, meals on longer flights, and also beer, wine, cocktails and snacks.
With WestJet pulling back some flights from Eastern Canada to concentrate on its base out west, Porter will be going pretty much head-to-head with Air Canada. Given the extra perks and seating arrangement, it appears Porter tickets might be a little more expensive than their competitors.
“We’ll be pricing it competitively for the marketplace, but we have a level of service that is unparalleled with perks other airlines don’t offer,” Deluce told the Star.
As I reported yesterday, the Porter Embraer jets also will offer FREE Wi-Fi.
Perks like extra space, free beer or wine and free Internet are terrific, and it’s a solid move by Porter. How the public reacts will be very interesting to watch. Given inflation, Porter probably has to be quite careful about their pricing, especially for Porter Classic. But I can see business travellers being quite attracted by Porter Reserve as sort of a Super-Premium Economy experience. Maybe Porter hopes to lure a few executives who normally fly Air Canada business class. If that starts to happen it will be interesting to see how AC reacts.
WESTJET SUPPORTS INDIGENOUS TOURISM IN ALBERTA
WestJet has announced an agreement with Indigenous Tourism Alberta (ITA) to bolster support for Indigenous travel and tourism businesses and create meaningful employment opportunities for Indigenous Canadians as the airline grows its global presence.
The announcement was commemorated by an official signing of a memorandum of understanding at ITA’s annual Gathering in the presence of more than 300 travel and tourism partners and government representatives on Treaty 6, Métis Region 4, Edmonton.
“We are grateful to build upon our meaningful partnership and continued collaboration with ITA as we work together to foster important opportunities for Indigenous travel and tourism businesses and entrepreneurs right here in our home province,” said Angela Avery, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief People, Corporate & Sustainability Officer. “As Alberta’s home carrier, we provide service to seven communities across the province and have built our global hub in Calgary, which benefits all of Western Canada.
“Indigenous tourism and the history, stories and culture that accompany it, are essential to growing Alberta’s visitor economy and provide meaningful opportunities to advance economic and cultural reconciliation.”
The partnership agreement with ITA immediately follows the unveiling of WestJet’s 787 Dreamliner summer schedule out of Calgary, which includes direct, non-stop service to Tokyo, Japan and a broad expansion of the airline’s European service, with new direct routes to and from Scotland and Spain. As Alberta grows its international presence, the airline and ITA are committed to sourcing employment opportunities for indigenous Canadians to accommodate for increased inbound tourism.
“Our expansive international network out of Calgary will provide ample opportunity to showcase a diverse array of Alberta-based Indigenous travel and tourism businesses. Indigenous tourism is an integral sector of Alberta’s economy that uniquely positions our province as a world-class tourism destination for international visitors,” Avery said.
“Today’s agreement with WestJet is an opportunity to further work together to ensure that WestJet travellers and team members are not only made aware of the different Indigenous cultures found across Alberta, but are also celebrating them,” said Shae Bird, Chief Executive Officer of Indigenous Tourism Alberta. “Over the last several years, WestJet has shown tremendous support of the Canadian Indigenous tourism industry and we hope that other airlines follow their example in creating these partnerships to further grow the industry together.”
