56% would like to travel but can’t afford to, survey says
Almost 80 per cent of the 1,500 Canadians interviewed in November said that travelling has become less affordable in the past five years. As a result, 68 per cent are making compromises when it comes to holiday travel.
The majority of those travelling are taking shorter trips and staying within Canada, with 52 per cent opting to stay in their home province.
They are also saving elsewhere, with 23 per cent choosing cheaper accommodations, 18 per cent flying during off-peak season to reduce airfare costs and 16 per cent using discount airlines.
Still, more than half are forgoing travel altogether, with 56 per cent saying they would like to travel but cannot afford to.
Forty per cent of them cited a lack of vacation days for not being able to travel, while 36 per cent blamed the high cost of travel and 32 per cent chalked it up to financial obligations.
Newer immigrants cited these stressors far more frequently than those born in Canada. For example, only 19 per cent of those born in Canada mentioned a lack of time off as a barrier to visiting family.
Recent immigrants were also more likely to report difficulty taking time off than Canadians and feeling pressured by their employers to work over the holidays.
Canadians’ travel intentions are expected to continue softening in 2025. Sixty per cent are planning to travel next year, down 10 percentage points from 2024, according to a study by Allianz Global Assistance Canada, which interviewed 2,001 Canadians in November.
Among those who are not planning to travel, 60 per cent said financial considerations remain the main barrier.
The longing to make up for lost time following the COVID-19 pandemic also appears to be waning, with only 29 per cent expressing a desire for “revenge travel” this year, down 10 percentage points from 2023 and 21 percentage points from 2022.
Despite the challenges, Canadians’ desire to travel remains strong, with 66 per cent saying that an annual vacation is important to them.
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