JimBits: What You Need to Know About What Canadians Want

With a new travel year in full swing, Expedia analyzed thousands of data points from 2018 to identify where Canadians will travel in the year ahead. The results show that the fastest-growing trends in travel include international destinations and non-traditional lodging options such as tentalows and tree houses. From an activities perspective, Canadians are embracing their love of the slopes, with ski activities such as equipment rentals seeing the biggest growth in this space year-over-year, and particularly in Western Canada.

Expedia crunched flight data from 20181 to determine the destinations seeing the most year-over-year growth, and it's clear that Canadians are venturing beyond our borders and racking up those international miles. While Toronto, Las Vegas and London remain top destinations, those seeing the biggest year-over-year growth are a bit further away. From Europe to Southeast Asia, these are some of the most noteworthy trending destinations to add to the list, all of which showed double-digit growth:

Germany: Frankfurt

Portugal: Porto, Ponta Delgada, and Lisbon

Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi

Singapore

Bahamas: Nassau

Croatia: Zagreb and Split

Spain: Malaga and the Canary Islands

Australia: Melbourne

Peru: Cusco

Thailand: Phuket

While traditional resorts and hotels continue to be a favourite for Canadian travellers, Expedia data shows a growing interest in alternative lodging options, as travellers seek out unique and authentic experiences, including houseboats, treehouses, castles and tentalows (a cross between a tent and a bungalow, and that's a new one on me).

Activities and experiences are increasingly popular as travellers look to personalize and customize their vacations. Fast-growing activities including skiing in the Canadian Rockies, exploring theme parks and taking in Broadway plays in New York or Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas.

You can now book your clients' stay at Universal's Endless Summer Resort - Dockside Inn and Suites, opening May 2020. This coastal-themed hotel inspired by breathtaking sunsets will join its sister property, Surfside Inn and Suites, in the destination's all-new Value hotel category. With rates starting at $76 per night, Universal Orlando now offers a hotel for every style and budget, complete with exclusive benefits and a seamless vacation experience at the destination's most affordable rates.

The destination's newest hotel will offer 2,050 relaxed and casual guest rooms and suites. Families needing a bit more space will find it easy to spread out and unwind in the 2-Bedroom Suites, which start at $115 per night for a 7-night stay. These suites sleep six comfortably and feature a kitchenette and separate bath and vanity areas, so the whole family can get ready in time to experience Early Park Admission. It's the perfect home-base for families of any size to experience all that Universal Orlando has to offer - at a quality that's simply unmatched anywhere else in Orlando.

Guests at both Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites can take advantage of exclusive Universal Orlando benefits to enjoy an epic vacation, including:

- Early Park Admission - allowing them to breeze into one of Universal Orlando's three amazing theme parks an hour before everyone else

- Quick, complimentary shuttle bus transportation to and from the theme parks and Universal CityWalk

- Destination-wide charging privileges with their room key

- Complimentary delivery of merchandise purchased throughout the resort to their hotel

Universal's Endless Summer Resort was brought to life by the award-winning Universal Creative team. This is the place where the sand vibe of Dockside Inn and Suites meets the ocean theming at Surfside Inn and Suites. Dockside Inn and Suites will feature tranquil surroundings inspired by sand, sea and colourful sunsets. It's the perfect complement to its vibrant, ocean and surf-inspired sister hotel, Surfside Inn and Suites, which opens Summer 2019.

In its 10th year of expedition cruising, industry-leading Silversea Cruises is continuing to unlock a broad range of deep travel experiences for guests, taking them closer to the authentic beauty of the world. From the cool conditions of Antarctica to the warm climates of Australia and beyond, Silversea's guests will explore more than 900 destinations in 2019-more than any other cruise line. Standout experiences for 2019 include a recent trip to the isolated waters of the 66th parallel south and a number of upcoming voyages in the spectacular, remote Kimberley region of Australian.

Symbolizing Silversea's commitment to unlocking unique and authentic experiences, Silversea's Silver Cloud journeyed to the 66th parallel south on January 13, crossing into the Antarctic Circle. It was the first time the ship has ventured so far south. Guests relished the opportunity to cruise in such remote waters and were rewarded with a special 'Red Nose' ceremony on the pool deck, an initiation ritual that has historically been performed on this momentous seafaring occasion. Shortly after, a record 98 guests participated in a polar plunge, which was followed by informative lectures and trivia games. Guests even spotted humpback whales as the ship sailed northward.

"Led by our industry-leading Expedition Team, who enrich the adventure for our guests, our voyages to Antarctica are unique in their offering," said Conrad Combrink, Silversea's SVP Strategic Development Expeditions and Experiences. "Not only do guests travel deeper into the last continent, witnessing the iconic sights that define this incredible region, but they do so in ultimate comfort with Silversea's trademark service."

Cruising in a distinctly different ecosystem to that of Silver Cloud, Silversea's Silver Discoverer will enable guests to discover Australia's Kimberley Coast throughout 2019, showcasing the destination's beautiful landscapes, remarkable wildlife, and fascinating aboriginal history, among other alluring features. Offering truly immersive experiences in the region, Silversea guests will journey to the King George Falls by Zodiac, getting close enough to feel the spray from the 80m twin cascades; witness Aboriginal rock art, which dates back more than 50,000 years; and spot spectacular wildlife, including the saltwater crocodile, rare bird species, and various reptiles. Many other memorable experiences will ensure a once-in-a-lifetime voyage.

Vacation should be relaxing, but planning often isn't. That's why at Secret Bay on Dominica, they're always looking for new ways to make your getaway as effortless as possible.

Book an 8-night stay this winter and receive 20% off your villa-PLUS they- 'll make all flight arrangements and cover the cost of roundtrip airfare* for your connecting flight from Guadeloupe to Dominica.

- Offer is for exactly 8-night stays, with check-in on Thursday or Sunday

- 20% off standard rate is for select villas

- Travel must take place by March 29, 2019.

I haven't stayed at the resort but I had a tour a couple years ago and found it truly astonishing; with tremendous luxury and a truly stunning setting on the quiet, west coast of an island known for its waterfalls and natural beauty.

The new Orlando CityPASS® program, which debuted recently, lets visitors to Florida build an individualized, easy-to-use ticket to Orlando's most famous and family-friendly theme park collections: the Walt Disney World® Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld® Orlando and LEGOLAND® Florida Resort.

Designed by CityPASS, the company that has specialized in bundling discounted admission to the most iconic attractions in 14 North American destinations for more than 20 years, the Orlando CityPASS program allows travelers to create a custom vacation experience that comes with the added benefit of compelling savings. Among the options visitors can mix and match to fashion their ideal ticket are:

- Walt Disney World Resort-Choose 1 Park Per Day, Park Hopper® or Park Hopper® Plus tickets for entry to the parks under the resort's umbrella, including Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom®, Epcot®, Disney's Hollywood Studios®, Disney's Animal Kingdom® Park, and Disney's Blizzard Beach® and Typhoon Lagoon® water parks.

1 Park Per Day-Admission to any one Disney theme park per day.

Park Hopper-Admission to multiple theme parks per day; water parks not included.

Park Hopper Plus-Admission to multiple theme parks per day, including Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water park.

No matter which Disney ticket type travellers select, they'll also receive MyMagic+ and FASTPASS+ service.

- Universal Orlando Resort-Jump from park to park or visit one park per day with tickets that cover entry to Universal Studios Florida, Universal's Islands of Adventure™ and Universal's Volcano Bay™. This epic vacation destination is home to exciting and thrilling experiences, including both The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Hogsmeade and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley.

- SeaWorld Orlando-Pick one, two or three parks for thrilling rides, animal encounters, water slides and wave pools. SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando, SeaWorld's Waterpark®, are the two local attractions. For travelers with plans to explore beyond Orlando, the three-park option is ideal, as it allows three visits to any combination of the following parks: SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay and Adventure Island® Tampa Bay.

- LEGOLAND Florida Resort-One or 2-day tickets available for all rides, shows and attractions at a park designed especially for kids age 2-12.

Canada Jetlines is pleased to announce it intends to provide future service to several sun destinations in Mexico including Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, and Cancun.

Jetlines has reached agreements with both Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (NYSE: PAC) ("GAP") to provide future service to the Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) and the Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) as well as Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (NYSE: ASR) ("ASUR") to provide future service to the Cancun International Airport (CUN). Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, and Cancun are some of Mexico's top tourism destinations for Canadians, with nearly two million passengers travelling from Canada down to Mexico every year, with the numbers continually rising.

The number of overnight visits from both within Canada and international markets is projected to increase by 2.0 per cent in 2019, according to The Conference Board of Canada's Travel Markets Outlook reports.

While Canadian households are expected to face growing economic and financial challenges heading into 2019, domestic travel volumes are still projected to increase. According to our travel intentions survey, a growing share of Canadian households plan to take a winter vacation, and among those, a slightly higher share plan to stay in Canada for their longest-duration trip. Meanwhile, growth from the U.S. and overseas markets is expected to strengthen in 2019, as travel price inflation eases and a favourable exchange rate for many international markets remains.

"Tourism activity in 2018 was weighed down by a number of factors, including rising travel prices, the weaker economic environment and lack of major events like those that happened in 2017," said Greg Hermus, Associate Director for The Conference Board of Canada's Canadian Tourism Research Institute. "Fortunately, 2019 should see stronger growth in tourism activity thanks to more modest increases in travel prices and easing uncertainty surrounding trade negotiations."

The recently issued travel advisory for Canada from the Chinese government presents a downside risk to the tourism forecast. International markets represent the strongest growth prospects for overnight visits to the country and China is Canada's second most important overseas market.

Here's the board's projected tourism growth for several Canadian cities:

- Vancouver, 3.3%

- Toronto, 2.9%

- Montreal, 2.3%

- Calgary, 2.8%

- Edmonton, 2.3%

- Quebec City, 2%