Where are Canadians travelling for the holidays?

Montego Bay, Portugal and Cape Town are among the top-searched travel destinations by Canadians looking to escape during the upcoming holiday season, according to a recently-released survey by Kayak.

According to the research, people are taking more time off this year compared to last year with vacation days up across the board for Canadians, taking an average of 13 vacation days over the holiday season - three days longer than U.S. travelers and two days longer than travelers in the U.K. The survey also found that Canadians procrastinate when it comes to holiday travel, waiting until October to start the search in comparison to Americans who start searching for holiday travel one month earlier in September.

"When it comes to Canadian travelers, one trend we continue to see every year is their love for warm weather destinations- especially during the holidays," says David Solomito, VP of Brand Marketing North America. "When we looked at the most popular destinations for Canadians over the holiday season, Florida was a clear favorite with three out of the top five destinations in the sunshine state which isn't surprising given its sunny skies and proximity to the east coast of Canada."

Among the survey results were the following:

• According to Kayak's data, Montego Bay ranked number one among the top ten trending holiday destinations for Canadian travelers with a 53 per cent increase in searches compared to last year. Kauai, Kingston and São Paulo also saw an increase in interest, proving time again that Canadians are looking to escape the cold weather for the holidays.

• Canadian deal seekers are considering Mexico this year. Not only did Cancún and Puerto Vallarta both make the top 10 trending list for holiday travel, but four out of 10 cities on Kayak's wallet-friendly holiday destinations list for Canadians are within Mexico and offer some of the best travel deals for the holidays, especially those looking for last-minute getaways.

• While Reykjavik continues to be a top travel destination, Portugal is out to steal the limelight this holiday season; Lisbon grabs the top spot on the top trending holiday destinations list for Torontonians with a 190 per cent increase in searches YOY. Affordable accommodations and a good public transit system paired with an increase in direct flights are likely driving interest to this historical city.

• Cape Town and Lima rank among the top searched destinations by Calgarians, seeing more than an 80 per cent increase in searches YOY. Whether it's due to a weakened rand in South Africa or the booming culinary scene in Peru, both destinations offer something for everyone - from budget to indulgence.