Canadians stretch travel season into fall as G Adventures sees surge in off-peak bookings

Canadian travellers are increasingly extending their vacations beyond the traditional summer rush, with new booking data from G Adventures pointing to strong growth in shoulder-season travel this fall.

The adventure operator says seasonality expansion is emerging as a defining trend for Canadian travel in late 2026, as travellers take advantage of cooler temperatures, fewer crowds and opportunities to experience destinations outside their busiest periods.

While established autumn favourites such as Peru, Morocco, Italy, Portugal and Turkey remain G Adventures’ most-booked destinations among Canadians this fall, some of the biggest year-over-year gains are being recorded farther afield.

Canada leads the growth list, with fall bookings up 250 per cent year over year, followed by China at 205 per cent and Indonesia at 98 per cent. Uzbekistan is up 88 per cent, Bosnia and Herzegovina 64 per cent, Poland 57 per cent and Sri Lanka 50 per cent.

Other destinations seeing increases include Uruguay, up 41 per cent; Egypt, 38 per cent; South Korea, 33 per cent; Costa Rica, 23 per cent; and Albania, 21 per cent.

Solo travel surges in the fall

Solo travel is also gaining momentum outside the summer months.

According to G, fall solo departures are up 40 per cent compared with summer, with women accounting for 76 per cent of those bookings.

Peru, Morocco, Italy, Japan and Vietnam remain popular choices for solo travellers, while China is emerging quickly, with fall solo bookings up 120 per cent. India has recorded a 17 per cent increase and Egypt is up 12 per cent.

Sports tourism is another trend G Adventures is tapping into this fall through its new Away Games collection, which combines European football culture with small-group travel.

Launched this summer, the program initially featured itineraries built around match days in England, including Manchester United and Arsenal F.C., and has since expanded to include Spanish clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. The first departures begin this fall.

“At G Adventures, we’ve always believed travel is about human connection, and there are few communities more passionate, emotional and united than football fans,” said Yves Marceau, VP of product at G Adventures, in a press release.

“Away Games is about much more than watching a match. It’s about belonging and being part of something bigger, singing with locals in supporter pubs, celebrating a last-minute goal with fellow travellers after the final whistle, and experiencing a destination through the lens of its football culture. We saw an opportunity to create something completely new in the adventure travel space, and we’re incredibly excited to bring fans together in a way only G Adventures can.”

South Korea, Egypt see shoulder-season gains

Several destinations are showing particularly strong shifts from peak summer into autumn.

South Korea bookings are up 33 per cent year over year and 492 per cent compared with the peak summer months. G Adventures’ Best of South Korea itinerary combines Seoul with temple stays, Busan markets and a guided visit to the Demilitarized Zone.

Italy, meanwhile, remains a fall favourite, with overall shoulder-season bookings up 99 per cent and couples’ bookings jumping 179 per cent.

Among G Adventures’ offerings is the new Local Living – Tuscany San Gimignano itinerary, which features a traditional farmhouse stay and visits to medieval towns and nearby Florence.

Ireland has recorded a 30 per cent increase in fall bookings compared with summer, while Egypt is up 38 per cent year over year and 367 per cent over summer as travellers seek milder temperatures for exploring the country’s archaeological sites.

Mexico also ranks among the top 25 shoulder-season destinations for Canadians, with G Adventures highlighting cultural experiences surrounding Día de los Muertos as an autumn draw.

Digital detoxes & longer career breaks

Beyond destination choices, G Adventures says changing traveller priorities are influencing how people vacation.

One emerging trend is “deadzoning,” in which travellers deliberately disconnect from devices and social media. The company says more than a quarter of younger travellers cite device-free time as a primary source of holiday happiness, reflecting growing interest in digital detoxes and so-called “quietcations.”

Extended breaks are also emerging among travellers in their 30s.

G Adventures highlighted the experience of former corporate coordinator Ritesh Maharaj, who turned a layoff at age 30 into a 202-day global gap year spanning Southeast Asia, South America, Central America, Southern Africa and the Middle East.

The company also pointed to nurse Marci Holden, who has made travelling with G Adventures an annual birthday tradition for 15 years, using small-group trips as an opportunity to recharge while travelling solo.

Closer to home, G Adventures is highlighting its support for kelp forest restoration along British Columbia’s Pacific coastline through its Trees for Days initiative.

Support is being directed to Coastal Kelp, a project working with the Tsawwassen First Nation, Nuchatlaht Tribe and Lax Kw'alaams Band to restore marine habitats.

The project uses a “seaforestation” technique that installs non-invasive moorings in areas previously unable to sustain kelp growth, creating a “false bottom” seabed.

 According to G Adventures, restored habitats have seen native kelp return alongside scallops, oysters, shrimp and rockfish.

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