by Marsha Mowers
Last updated: 7:40 AM ET, Fri September 13, 2024
The USA remains the top fall 2024 destinations for Canadian travellers, according to Virtuoso's 2024 Brand and Travel Tracker study. The country beat out favourites Italy, France, our own country and Japan to take first place.
The proprietary survey asked high-value travellers across 17 countries and was conducted in collaboration with YouGov.
Other trends are:
Sun-Kissed Sands and City Sights
Canadian luxury leisure travellers have shared their plans for the upcoming fall and festive seasons, with beach getaways and city adventures topping their list. Not surprisingly, Canadians enjoy exploring their own country, with staycations surpassing cruises.
- Beach (53 percent)
- Exploring a city (49 percent)
- Foodie/culinary adventure (21 percent)
- Staycation (20 percent)
- Cruise (18 percent)
- Museum/historic tour (18 percent)
Relax, Rejuvenate and Repeat
Canadians prioritise fulfilling their mental and emotional needs through travel, focusing on joy and happiness (70 percent), mental reset (58 percent) and curiosity and exploration (52 percent). Secondary motivations vary based on travel companions: couples often choose romantic getaways, families with adult children favour nature and eco-tourism, and trips with extended family or friends are celebratory or adventurous. Overall, 72 percent of Canadians continue to take leisure trips primarily to relax and disconnect, a trend unchanged since 2023.
Virtuoso Canadian Travellers Set the Bar High
Canadians travel longer and spend more than the average traveller, which is why they highly value the expertise of professional travel advisors.
- Travellers who use Virtuoso advisors plan to spend twice as much as travellers who use non-Virtuoso advisors and three times more than do-it-yourself planners.
- Virtuoso-advised travellers are expected to spend an average of 14 nights at hotels in 2024 vs. 12 nights in 2023. That's 50 percent longer than non-Virtuoso-advised travellers and a 16 percent increase year-over-year.
- Virtuoso travellers spend an average of 21 nights on cruises, three times more than the number of nights spent by non-Virtuoso travellers.
For more information on Virtuoso, visit www.virtuoso.com.
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