Canadian New Year’s travel set for shift, domestic demand surges: FlightHub

With the 2025–26 New Year’s travel period quickly approaching, new booking data from FlightHub points to changes in where—and how—Canadians plan to travel.

Comparing bookings made as of November 12, 2025, for travel between December 30 and January 2 against the same period last year, the OTA’s latest insights reveal a reshaped holiday landscape driven by affordability, demographic trends and shifting destination preferences.

Domestic travel is seeing a significant upswing heading into the New Year, the company says. 

Bookings within Canada are up 21 percentage points year-over-year, with more travellers opting to stay local for the holidays, reports FlightHub.

British Columbia has emerged as the most popular province, capturing 30 per cent of domestic share and overtaking Alberta, which saw a slight decline.

The top domestic route for the 2025 New Year period is Edmonton to Toronto, the company says.

Gen Z continues to dominate domestic travel, representing 47 per cent of passengers and expanding their lead over other generations.

Value drives demand as fares drop

Lower prices are helping fuel domestic interest, the OTA reports.

Average domestic fares fell 12 per cent, from $292 last year to $256 for New Year’s 2025.

All major Canadian cities saw price declines—except Winnipeg (YWG), which recorded a marginal 0.4 per cent uptick.

International travel holds steady

International bookings remain consistent year-over-year, with Canadians continuing to favour the United States, Asia and Mexico. T

The U.S. retained its position as the top international destination, though its share dipped from 24 per cent to 21 per cent, the company reports.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and Mexico gained ground, signalling growing interest in Asian and Latin American travel.

Gen X travellers nudged ahead of Millennials for the first time in this period, representing 29 per cent of international bookings compared to Millennials’ 28 per cent—a shift from last year’s tie.

Long-haul travel gains momentum

Demand for long-haul travel is rising, with the most booked international route switching from Montreal–Fort Lauderdale to Toronto–Delhi.

The shift underscores strengthened travel ties with South Asia, particularly for cultural and family-related trips around the holidays, says FlightHub.

International fares trend downward

Affordability isn’t just a domestic story. 

Major international markets also saw declining prices, says FlightHub, including a 10 per cent drop for Mexico, eight per cent for the Philippines and five per cent for Vietnam—further boosting demand to these regions.

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