Inflation worries are causing Canadians to cut back on travel, but Gen Z remains eager to get out there and explore. An Ipsos Reid poll conducted in mid-March for Global News found that 62% of Canadians say they’re scaling back their vacation plans this year. Sixty one per cent of respondents blamed “inflation and the economy” for their travel trimming. A full 24% of those surveyed said they can’t afford a summer vacation, and only 13% said they’ll spend more this year. “Canadians are going to be looking for cheaper alternatives,” said Ipsos VP Sean Simpson. One person interviewed said Read more
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Domestic leisure travel in Canada will soon be back to pre-pandemic levels, says a new report from Destination Canada. But international and domestic business travel aren’t expected to recover for a few more years. Here’s a synopsis of the report. As of spring 2022, with borders open to fully vaccinated travellers and health measures less restrictive in all parts of the country, revenues are forecast to grow to between $80 billion and $85 billion in 2022. Recovery will be uneven, with resort communities performing well, while rural and urban centres that are more dependent on international guests and business travellers Read more
Business travel may never be the same again. With programs or apps such as Slack and Zoom literally taking off (I had my first Zoom chat ever on Saturday, linking up eight family members in Toronto with five in California, including my 88-year-old father), how long will it take for businesses to decide that long-distance travel isn’t as necessary as it used to be? There will always be a place for in-person meetings. But with webinars and virtual reality and Slack and Zoom and FaceTime and Skype and other services out there, folks are beginning to realize that we really Read more
