Luxury and experiential travel network Virtuoso has crunched the data from its network of travel advisors, preferred partners and high net worth/ultra-high net worth clientele across Canada, revealing when, where and how the affluent are travelling in 2024 and beyond.
The forecasted trends demonstrate a surge in outbound leisure spend and a staggering rise in future cruise bookings as well as strong interest in foreign destinations like Costa Rica, Portugal, Japan and Thailand
Virtuoso General Manager, Canada, Una O'Leary. (Photo Credit: Marsha Mowers)
Here are some of the findings:
Travellers are Choosing Virtuoso: Virtuoso's 2023 sales by its Canadian members increased by 22% over 2022, reaching a record high.
Cruise Sales Lead the Way: Looking at 2023 sales by category from Virtuoso's Canadian members, cruising led the way, and the trend continues in 2024.
Cruises: 48%
Tours: 32%
On-sites (destination management companies): 29%
Hotels: 6
Contemporary Cruising Comes Out on Top in 2023 vs. 2022
Ocean: +48%
River: +87%
Small Ships (Yacht): +38%
Expedition: +42%
Average Booking Window Increases: Compared to a 92-day average booking window in 2022, 2023 was up more than 14% to a 105-day average booking window.
Future Bookings are Promising, Particularly in Cruise: Future sales from Virtuoso's Canadian members are strong, with a 16% uptick in advance bookings (18-24 months out) compared to the same period in 2022. This is on track with the global percentage of 19%.
The real standout is cruise: Virtuoso's future cruise bookings from Canadian members are 32% higher than they were for 2022, outpacing global bookings which are at 30%.
This just in: Below are additional travel insights per the Virtuoso 2024 Brand and Travel Trend Tracker, a proprietary study conducted by YouGov.
Canadians are Looking to Relax: When it comes to motivations for leisure travel, Canadians are most interested in relaxation and disconnecting, followed by adventure, romance and culture.
1. Relaxation and disconnecting
2. Adventure
3. Romantic getaways
4. Cultural visits
5. Celebrations
6. Health and wellness
Costa Rica is a favourite destination for Canadians booking through Virtuoso agencies. (Photo Credit: Steven Diaz)
Canadians are Willing to Travel Great Distances: Canadians have destination preferences that differ from our neighbours to the south. Canadian travellers are significantly more likely to visit Costa Rica, Portugal and Thailand than U.S. travellers. The top five emerging destinations for Canadians:
1. Costa Rica
2. Japan
3. Portugal
4. Iceland
5. Thailand
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