While most Canadians feel the pinch of inflation, interest rates, and higher bills at the grocery stores, many of us are not giving up our vacations.
Allianz Global Assistance, a travel insurance and assistance provider, and Ipsos surveyed Canadians about their vacation plans next year, and 72 per cent said their travel plans were important.
"Canadian travellers are a resilient bunch," said Allianz Vice President of Marketing and Insights Dan Keon. "Despite facing unprecedented challenges in recent years, Canadians travel intentions have fully returned to pre-pandemic levels."
Almost half of Canadians surveyed are confident they'll take a trip this winter, up four points from last year.
High-income households, university graduates, and families with children reported the highest vacation confidence.
Sixty per cent said financial pressures will force them to scale back their travel plans.
The overall increase in winter vacation confidence was among those 55 and older. The survey suggests snowbird travel will jump back to 2019 levels in 2024.
Not everyone has a vacation planned. This year, 17 per cent of respondents said despite considering travel a high priority, they won't likely take one. Among that set, 68 per cent didn't want to spend the money.
"Canadians have been heavily impacted by rising living costs so it's no surprise that the study found the biggest obstacle to taking a vacation relates to financial pressures," continued Keon.
Ipsos surveyed 2,000 Canadians in November.
The results are considered accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points 19 times out of 20.
