Leading global travel app Skyscanner today unveiled its annual travel trends report, revealing deep insights into Canadian traveller behaviour and spending for the coming year.
Using proprietary data, a specially commissioned survey of more than 18,000 travellers and trusted industry insights, Skyscanner’s Travel Trends report reveals all you need to know about travel for Canadians in 2025 – from the top 10 trending and best value destinations to these emerging travel trends.
Here are some highlights from their travel trends report for 2025.
Trending Destinations for Canadians
It’s clear that Canada is interested in the rise of culturally and historically rich destinations. With growing social media exposure and a desire for meaningful travel, these destinations offer the perfect blend of history, affordability, and adventure. Canadians are increasingly drawn to culturally and historically rich destinations for 2025, seeking immersive experiences that combine natural beauty, unique traditions, and vibrant local cultures.
Florence, Italy.
Here are the top 10 destinations with the biggest year-on-year increase in searches*:
- Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos, +713% search increase
- Cusco, Peru: +163% search increase
- Krabi, Thailand: +158% search increase
- Madeira, Portugal: +153% search increase
- Okinawa, Japan: +145% search increase
- Tromsø, Norway: +127% search increase
- Marrakesh, Morocco: +123% search increase
- Florence, Italy: +115% search increase
- San Antonio, USA: +99% search increase
- Colorado Springs, USA: +94% search increase
*Source: Destinations seeing increase in flight searches between January 1, 2024 and June 30, 2024 for travel throughout 2024 compared to the same period in 2023
I asked Skyscanner about the huge rise for Grand Turk Island, and they said it could be due to a new marketing program the destination has introduced, as well as new routes. Still, it’s a pretty amazing jump.
It’s nice to see San Antonio on the list, as it’s an underrated city with good food, trendy hotels, fine museums, and, of course, the famous Riverwalk.
Biggest Price Drops for Canadian travellers
These are the top factors determining wallet-friendly holiday destinations amongst Canadians:
- The cost of flights (71%)
- The cost of hotels (64%)
- The cost of food and drink (37%)
These are the top 10 best-value destinations given recent price changes for Canadian travellers*:
- Florence, Italy: -29% price drop (one of the world’s great cities)
- Faro, Portugal: -28% price drop (Portugal is consistently a top destination for Canadians, and justifiably so)
- Bogota, Colombia: -28% price drop (fabulous city)
- Madeira, Portugal: -28% price drop (see above note for Faro)
- Quito, Ecuador: –27% price drop
- Reykjavik, Iceland: -21% price drop (Iceland is known as an expensive destination, so a price reduction like this is hugely welcome)
- Paris, France: -20% price drop (possibly a post-Olympics price adjustment)
- Rome, Italy: -19% price drop (again, one of the world’s great cities, and where, by the way, I met my wife)
- Oslo, Norway: -18% price drop
- Barcelona, Spain: -17% price drop (hugely popular destination, so a price drop is a good thing to see for Canadians)
*Based on % price drop for economy class return flight booked between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024 for travel throughout 2024 compared to the same period in 2023
A cyclist in the hills of Bogotá, Colombia. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Travel Smart, Spend Savvy
Despite today’s economic challenges, demand for trips remains strong. Canadians continue to prioritize their travel plans and budgets, with 83% intending to travel as much or more in 2025. However, finding the best value remains a key consideration.
For 62% of Canadians, the cost of flights is one of the most important factors, with many budgeting the same or more for airfare in 2025 compared to last year. Spending on accommodation and car rentals is also expected to rise, with planned budget increases of 32% and 15%, respectively. To stay ahead of the curve, signing up for Skyscanner’s Price Alerts helps travellers lock in the best deals as soon as prices drop.
The Trends Taking Flight
The 2025 report uncovers seven key trends, all fueled by the desire to find community and enjoy the freedom to truly be yourself while discovering new ways to explore the globe:
- Sport Mode: Passion for sport is influencing how travellers, especially younger ones, explore a destination. 65% of 25-34-year-olds are looking to explore a new place by running or cycling, while 21% of all Canadian travellers plan to attend or participate in a sporting event while on vacation.
- Astro-Adventures: Astro-tourism combines the adventure of exploring celestial events alongside the mystical insights of astrology. Canadians are eager to stargaze, with 56% of Canadians hoping to get a glimpse of the Nothern Lights during their travel, 33% are planning a vacation around witnessing a Lunar or Solar Eclipse.
- Reset-Jetters: The rise of health, resilience and longevity tourism. There’s a generational divide in approaches to health and wellbeing: 45% of 24-34-year-olds are more likely to take a health-conscious approach to their holidays compared to 37% of 65-year-olds and over.
- Art-Venture: Art and culture have long been a favourite motivation to travel. Today, 53% of Canadian travellers say culture is the most important reason for choosing a holiday destination.
- Cowboy Core: Yee-haw! 35% of Canadian travellers are fans of Cowboy Core, rising to 56% among 18-24-year-olds. Over a quarter (36%) are eager to experience the simplicity of a farm stay, while 43% would like to dine around a campfire. No doubt the TV show Yellowstone has something to do with this.
- Horti-Culture: Canadian travellers are a green-fingered bunch. A significant 71% plan to visit gardens while on vacation, and notably, 45% say gardening tops their list of leisure activities, beating painting (25%) and playing a musical instrument (19%).
- Gami-Vacation: Building on last year’s trend of ‘Main character energy’ – where travellers step inside the shoes of their favourite TV and film characters – 34% of Canadian travellers are inspired to book a trip abroad based on locations from their favourite video game.
Fans check out the action from Sportsnet Grill at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO
“In 2025, we’re seeing Canadian travellers looking to embark on more communal and immersive adventures, from cheering on their favourite teams at major sporting events to exploring art installations or bonding with fellow gamers on themed vacations,” says Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner Travel Expert. “This shift highlights a growing desire for shared, meaningful moments that create lasting connections and foster a sense of belonging within a global community.”
Find the Full 2025 Travel Trends Report here.
Visit Skyscanner.ca for more information about the leading travel app.
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ABOUT SKYSCANNER
Skyscanner is a leading global travel app that helps travellers plan and book their trip with ease and confidence. Every month, Skyscanner connects millions of travellers, in 52 countries and 32 languages, to more than 1200 trusted travel partners so they can find the best flight, hotel or car hire options.
Founded in 2003, Skyscanner has offices worldwide, in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America where traveller-first innovations are developed, powered by data and insights. Making use of the latest technology, Skyscanner simplifies the complexity of travel and provides honest and transparent solutions, searching more than 80 billion prices every day so travellers can be sure they’ve seen the best possible options, all in one place.
