Comparing search data for three of the major long weekends in Canada – Victoria Day, Canada Day, and Labour Day – Expedia explored which destinations Canadians were most interested in for summer 2023, and which destinations see a shift during the fall months.
On the global destination list, Toronto came out on top for all three summer long weekend dates in terms of search interest. Recently, Toronto saw a spike in interest for November 2024 with the announcement of pop-icon Taylor Swift’s long-awaited Canadian tour dates. For the first wave of shows, Expedia reported a 5000% hike in flight searches and a whopping 8000% increase in hotel searches, showing that large scale events contribute to the destination’s popularity.
While Niagara Falls saw a drop on the global search list during Victoria Day, interest returned for Canada Day and Labour Day where it held strong in the second spot. Of the Maritime provinces, Halifax, N.S. was the top searched destination and the only Canadian east coast city to break the top 20 for every long weekend holiday.
For the Victoria Day long weekend, New York City came in as the top searched U.S. destination but was edged out by Las Vegas for the other dates. Other popular U.S. destinations of interest for long weekends included Orlando, Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, and Nashville. Toronto, Vancouver, Banff, Victoria, and Las Vegas were the only destinations to continuously appear in the top 10 global searches for all three long weekend holidays.
The Labour Day holiday weekend also suggests an increased interest in Canadians travelling further. For the Canada Day long weekend, seven destinations outside of Canada and the U.S. appeared in the top 30 searches, whereas 12 international destinations made appearances for Labour Day:
- Cancun, Mexico
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Paris, France
- London, England
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Santorini, Greece
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- Rome, Italy
- Barcelona, Spain
- Los Cabos, Mexico
- Tokyo, Japan
Interest in domestic destinations remain popular for the Labour Day weekend. The top 10 domestic destinations for Labour Day:
A Tiki Taxi boat in Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO
- Toronto, ON
- Niagara, ON
- Vancouver, BC
- Banff, AB
- Canmore, AB
- Victoria, BC
- Halifax, NS
- Montreal, QC
- Jasper, AB
- Calgary, AB
As for the fall, search data for travel between mid-September and mid-November shows Las Vegas emerging as the top sought-after spot for Canadian travellers. The top 20 global search list for fall:
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Cancun, Mexico
- Toronto, Ontario
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Niagara Falls, Ontario
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Banff, Alberta
- Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- Tokyo, Japan
- New York, New York
- Los Cabos, Mexico
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Riviera Maya, Mexico
- London, England
- Paris, France
- Canmore, Alberta
- Anaheim, California
- Lisbon, Portugal
- New York City
With so many options for fall travel, Expedia’s new in-app travel planning experience powered by ChatGPT can make it easier. Expedia members can now start an open-ended conversation in the Expedia iOS app and get recommendations on places to explore and suggestions on where to stay.
Additionally, Canadian’s looking to travel can take advantage of Expedia’s current sale where members can save 20% or more on thousands of hotels when booking before September 24th.
BABY-FREE ZONES ON AN AIRPLANE
Nobody (even parents) likes a crying baby on an airplane. But it’s almost impossible to control an uncomfortable little one in a confined space.
USA Today says Turkish-Dutch Corendon Airlines is testing an “Only Adult” zones on flights between Amsterdam and Curaçao starting in November.
There will be walls and curtains separating the “Only Adult” zone from the rest of the plane, making it ideal for travelers without children and business travelers who “want to work in a quiet environment,” according to a press release from the airline.
Interesting….
