KAYAK's latest data shows where adventurous Canadians are heading this year

KAYAK's latest data reveals that Canadians have soared past their U.S. neighbours, as North America's more adventurous travellers. 

Seven of the top 10 most popular destinations fall outside of Canada, in comparison to the U.S. where nine of top 10 destinations are actually within the U.S. 

Trending destinations like Maldives and Cartagena have caught the attention of Canadian jetsetters with searches up 215 per cent and 193 per cent respectively. Europe appears to attract Canadian and American travellers alike, with a notable difference being that Canadians are drawn to more niche cities such as Sofia, Dubrovnik and Porto, whereas the tried-and-true tourist destinations such as Rome, Munich and Paris are still gaining momentum amongst Americans.

Trends for this year

The 2019 Travel Trend Forecast delves into the various travel personalities across the nation and how Canadian travel habits differ depending on where they live:

• Vancouverites have a hunger for cultural experiences making bustling Asian cities like Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong popular choices.
• Torontonians are the party people of Canada, travelling to buzzworthy cities with boisterous nightlife including Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Paris and Miami.
• Montreal residents are the sun-seekers through-and-through—always looking to escape the cold temperatures and warm up in destinations like Cancun, Casablanca and Orlando.
• Calgarians are the homebodies and middle-grounders, literally and figuratively. When it comes to travel destinations, Calgarians choose close-to-home North American cities like Toronto, Phoenix, San Francisco and Montreal.
• Edmonton residents are the friendly Canadian neighbours, looking to their Western friends in British Columbia for a good time. Popular destinations include Abbotsford, Kelowna and Vancouver.

Canada travel is still popular

For the first time since tracking Canadian travel trends, KAYAK has seen more Canadian cities included in the Travel Forecast than ever before. 

Toronto took the number one spot on KAYAK's most popular list with cities like Vancouver (#3) and Calgary (#10) also making the cut. It is also the first time a Canadian city has made an appearance on KAYAK's list of trending destinations (destinations that have seen the largest increase in searches year over year)- Edmonton snagged the #5 spot with searches up 161 per cent.

The data also shows that Canada is becoming more affordable with four Canadian destinations scoring top spots on this year's wallet-friendly list including Victoria, Calgary, Vancouver and Quebec City—a departure from last year when only one Canadian city made an appearance on the list. Median airfare to all four cities is under $530, but budget-conscious travellers looking for a deal should check Vancouver off their bucket list in 2019—not only are flight prices under $500 but median airfare has dropped 11 per cent compared to last year.

Kayak's best deals

• Most Instagrammable Destination: Burano Island, Venice, Italy
• Top Foodie Destination: Bangkok, Thailand
• Top Honeymoon Destination: Marrakesh, Morocco
• Best Group Trip Destination: Nashville, Tennessee
• Top Bachelor / Bachelorette Destination: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• Best Adventure Destination: Queenstown, New Zealand
• Top Family Destination: Niagara Falls, Ontario
• Up-and-Coming Destination: Abbotsford, British Columbia
• Best Travel Deals: 
  • Best Canadian Deals in January: Vancouver (28 per cent price drop)
  • Best International Deals in January: Belize City (26 per cent drop)
  • Best Canadian Deals in February: Calgary (11 per cent price drop)
  • Best International Deals in February: Casablanca (10 per cent price drop)