Delhi dethrones Tokyo: FlightHub reveals Canadians’ top picks for 2026

FlightHub has released the third edition of its annual Unveiled report, revealing shifting destination preferences, generational travel trends and the impact major global events had on Canadian travel in 2026.

Drawing on booking and search data from October 2025 through August 2026, the report identifies Casablanca, Morocco, as this year’s breakout destination, with bookings soaring 250 per cent compared with the previous year.

Liberia, Costa Rica, also recorded significant growth, with bookings up 145 per cent, followed by Aruba at 118 per cent and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, at 109 per cent.

Hanoi, Vietnam, is another destination gaining momentum, with bookings rising 98 per cent year over year.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas appears to be stabilizing after experiencing a 40 per cent decline last year. Bookings to the destination edged up 1.3 per cent in 2026.

“2026 has been a transformative year for travel, with major events both at home and internationally,” said Henri Chelhot, CEO of FlightHub, in a press release. “This year’s data gives us a unique snapshot of how Canadians travelled during the year, and we’ll be watching to see whether these patterns continue into 2027.”

Delhi takes the top spot

There was also a changing of the guard among Canadians’ most popular international destinations.

Delhi, India, climbed one position to become the most popular international destination for Canadian travellers, knocking last year’s leader, Tokyo, Japan, into second place.

London, U.K., Cancún, Mexico, and Paris, France, rounded out the top five.

Manila, Philippines, Lisbon, Portugal, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Hong Kong and Rome, Italy, completed the top 10.

Within Canada, Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal and Calgary maintained their positions as the four most popular inbound destinations, respectively.

Major events drive travel

Major sporting events also had a measurable impact on travel patterns in 2026.

During this spring’s FIFA World Cup tournament, Vancouver recorded a 34 per cent increase in travel compared with last year, while Toronto saw an 18 per cent increase.

U.S. host cities also posted gains, including Kansas City, up 165 per cent; Boston, up 78 per cent; and New York/New Jersey, up 24 per cent.

For Canadians, however, tournament-related travel was overwhelmingly domestic, with travellers largely moving between Canadian cities rather than crossing the U.S. border. FlightHub said there were no notable spikes around individual matches, with travel instead building steadily throughout the tournament.

Other major events generated significant movement.

Montréal saw a 32 per cent year-over-year increase in travel surrounding the Canadian Grand Prix, while travel around the Las Vegas Grand Prix fell 22 per cent.

The Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina generated one of the largest increases, with travel surging 243 per cent compared with the previous year.

Gen Z gains travel share

FlightHub's data also points to a generational shift.

Gen Z recorded the largest increase in travel share, gaining 3.1 percentage points in Canada and 4.2 percentage points in the U.S.

Millennials declined by 0.7 percentage points in Canada and 0.5 points in the U.S., while Gen X fell 0.8 points and 1.9 points, respectively. Boomers declined 1.4 points in Canada and 1.7 points in the U.S.

Canada-U.S. travel interest grows

Despite ongoing shifts in Canada-U.S. travel patterns, FlightHub found search interest between the two countries increased in both directions.

U.S. search interest in travel to Canada rose 16 per cent year over year, compared with a two per cent increase in Canadian searches for U.S. travel.

Toronto was the most-searched Canadian destination among U.S. travellers, followed by Vancouver, Calgary, Montréal and Edmonton. Searches for both Toronto and Vancouver increased by approximately 20 per cent.

Among Canadians searching for U.S. destinations, New York ranked first, followed by Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Washington, D.C., meanwhile, is emerging as a destination of interest, with Canadian search activity rising almost 23 per cent year over year.

Quebec travellers stay longer

The report also highlighted distinct travel habits among Quebec travellers.

Québec residents take trips averaging approximately 11 days, compared with seven days among travellers elsewhere in Canada. They also tend to travel more frequently in July and December, a pattern FlightHub says is driven in part by Québec's Construction Holidays.

“It’s been another busy year for FlightHub and the overall travel sector, and Unveiled really showcases some interesting trends,” said Ayoub Hissar, director of communications at FlightHub, in a release.  “It will be fascinating to look back at this data in 12 months’ time to see if it is a marked change.”

FlightHub's Unveiled report is based on booking, search and pricing data collected from October 2025 through August 2026 and compared with the equivalent period one year earlier. The findings reflect activity across the company's Canadian and U.S. customer base.

The company is also using this year's report to highlight 10 worldwide destinations it recommends travellers keep on their radar.

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