KAYAK Reveals Canadian Travel Habits And Hacks Ahead Of The Holidays

According to KAYAK Search Data, Warm Weather Destinations Dominate This Year's Top Trending Lists

TORONTO, Oct. 20, 2017 /CNW/ -- Travel trendsetters take note: KAYAK, the world's leading travel search engine, has forecasted the trending destinations where Canadians will be traveling to this holiday season and how long they plan to escape the colder climate. KAYAK also shared key insights and travel hacks to make planning holiday travel easier and more affordable.

According to KAYAK's data, people are taking more time off this year compared to last year with vacation days up across the board for Canadians, Americans and those in the U.K. But, Canadians are enjoying the most time off by 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. Known to be a bit more relaxed than their U.S. counterparts, these traits are reflected in their booking habits. Specifically, 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."

Destinations Gaining Momentum for Canadians During the 2017 Winter Holidays Include Jamaica, Mexico, Spain and Brazil

Get on your way to Montego Bay: According to KAYAK data, Montego Bay ranked #1 among the top ten trending holiday destinations for Canadian travelers with a 53% increase in searches compared to last year. Because Jamaica escaped two powerful hurricanes unscathed it's a great option for anyone faced with decisions around where to vacation in the Caribbean this holiday season. 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, consider Mexico. 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.

Portugal is the new Iceland, according to Torontonians: While Reykjavik continues to be a top travel destination, Portugal is out to steal the limelight this holiday season; Lisbon grabs the #1 spot on the top trending holiday destinations list for Torontonians with a 190% 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.

Calgarians are taking the long haul for warmer weather: Cape Town and Lima rank among the top searched destinations by Calgarians, seeing more than an 80% increase in searches YOY. Whether it's due to a weakened rand in South Africa or the booming culinary scene in Peru (Machu Picchu is a given), both destinations offer something for everyone - from budget to indulgence.

Save Time and Money: KAYAK Travel Hacks Show How and Where to Score the Best Deals

Leave on a Friday, Return on a Monday: As you feel the pinch of the holiday season approaching, consider this KAYAK Travel Hack: for both international and domestic flights, Friday is the cheapest day to fly out/start your trip compared to any other day of the week. The cheapest return is on a Monday.

Now's the time to head to Reykjavik: The Icelandic capital is still wooing tourists and snagged the #2 spot on KAYAK's international wallet-friendly destinations for the holidays according to KAYAK search data. A flight to Reykjavik will only set you back around $610, and don't forget to make use of the numerous stopover programs airlines have implemented.

For Canadians looking for more ideas, inspiration and hacks, check out KAYAK's Holiday Travel Hacker Guide. It's a data-driven resource for travelers in North America looking to get the scoop on the hottest destinations to ring in the New Year, the most affordable cities to fly to and the best time to book your winter holiday flights.

About KAYAK
KAYAK, the world's leading travel search engine, searches other sites to show travelers the information they need to find the right flights, hotels, rental cars and vacation packages. In addition to KAYAK, the company operates a portfolio of metasearch brands including momondo, Cheapflights, SWOODOO, checkfelix and Mundi that together process more than two billion consumer queries for travel information a year.  KAYAK is an independently managed subsidiary of The Priceline Group.  For more information, visit www.KAYAK.com.

Methodology: Unless otherwise indicated, KAYAK considered searches conducted on the Canadian KAYAK sites between 01/01/2017-09/18/2017 for travel from Canada occurring between 12/1/2017 - 01/15/2018. To compare YOY findings, KAYAK looked at the same search and travel dates for the previous year (2016). All searches were pulled from KAYAK's internal database looking at median prices. All flight searches are round-trip economy flights, excluding price outliers based on certain criteria. Prices may vary. 

SOURCE KAYAK