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Travel optimism is high. 72% of Canadian leisure travellers feel excited about exploring the world this summer, and the same amount (72%) expect to spend more on travel than they did in 2024.
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Canadians are keen to take advantage of our renowned green spaces and biodiversity. 42% of Canadian travellers express a desire to explore natural landscapes such as lakes, mountains and national parks. Our diverse natural habitats, like the hot springs of Alberta, B.C. and Northwest Territories, and the soaring fjords and otherworldly tablelands of Gros Morne National Park, are revered by global travellers. Canadians want to enjoy our natural gifts, too.
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Western tourism operators are set to have a great summer as accommodation searches on Booking.com from Canadian travellers are up 61% year-over-year for Kelowna and for Canmore, and 45% year-over-year for Banff.
Stoneridge Mountain Resort in Canmore, Alberta. Photo supplied by Booking.com.
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Families will be on the move, as 90% of Canadian parents plan to travel at least once domestically this year, and 81% plan to travel at least once internationally. Europe leads the international interest among parents at 48% hoping to visit, with Asia following at 21% interest.
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87% of Canadian parents say they’re looking for trips that expose their children to a variety of cultures and experiences.
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Love is in the air this summer as couples are increasingly valuing memorable experiences over material gifts. A significant majority across Canadian generations – 72% of millennials, 74% of Gen Z, and 69% of boomers – prefer the gift of travel to physical presents.
Trending Canadian Destinations for Summer 2025
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Kelowna
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Canmore (cheaper than Banff, but just as beautiful)
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Banff
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Halifax (one of Canada’s most underrated cities)
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Calgary (also underrated)
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Toronto
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Vancouver
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Quebec City (super romantic, no matter how times you visit)
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Montreal (here’s a link to a story I posted on Le Petit Hotel Notre Dame in Old Montreal)
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Niagara Falls (still one of the world’s most impressive wonders)
Trending Global Destinations for Summer 2025
Paris. Chris Karidis/Unsplash Photo
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Paris, France (it’s almost impossible not to love Paris)
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Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
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Tokyo, Japan (Canadians seem wild for Japan these days)
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Dubai, UAE (interesting place, but a tad warm in summer; even for a heat lover like me)
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Bangkok, Thailand (expensive to fly there, but a super cheap destination with fabulous food)
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Alicante, Spain
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Nice, France (love the French Riviera)
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Malaga, Spain
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Rimini, Italy (haven’t been to Rimini, but Emilia-Romagna is a fabulous region of Italy)
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Dubrovnik, Croatia (can be crowded in summer, but well worth a visit)
NEW TOURISM IRELAND CAMPAIGN
The lovely town of Doolin, Ireland. Jim Byers Photo
Tourism Ireland has unveiled its new global campaign ‘Ireland Unrushed’, encouraging visitors to enjoy journeying around the island of Ireland this summer and beyond. Based on the insight that 80% of overseas visitors who choose non-sun holidays are seeking a sense of exploration on their trips, the new campaign showcases enjoyable journeys, highlighting experiences in nature and in local communities.
The campaign includes a series of videos highlighting breathtaking landscapes and ‘slow tourism’ activities – all reminding viewers that ‘You may find, when you slow down, you feel more’ – and featuring an atmospheric track called Worlds Above Us by Irish musician Lōwli. Click here to view the Westport video; and click here to view the video for the Causeway Coast.
The ‘Ireland Unrushed’ campaign is running on leading video platforms, social and digital channels in Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, as well as in other key tourism markets around the world. It is live across the month of June and will reach an estimated 70 million people. In early testing, the videos achieved over 90% persuasion scores, a measure of their ability to drive a change in consumer consideration for the island of Ireland. The campaign includes dedicated digital materials on Tourism Ireland’s international website, Ireland.com, highlighting ten ‘hero’ journeys which showcase slower-paced and more immersive holiday ideas to prospective overseas holidaymakers.
