Virtuoso’s newest data reveals Canadians crave relaxation

Virtuoso has gathered data and insights from its network of travel advisors, preferred partners and high net worth/ultra-high net worth clientele across Canada, revealing when, where and how the affluent are travelling in 2024 and beyond.

The forecasted trends demonstrate a surge in outbound leisure spend and a staggering rise in future cruise bookings as well as strong interest in foreign destinations like Costa Rica, Portugal, Japan and Thailand.

The following trends were observed:

Cruising is leading the way

Looking at 2023 sales by category from Virtuoso’s Canadian members, cruising led the way, and the trend continues in 2024.

• Cruises: 48 per cent
• Tours: 32 per cent
• On-sites (destination management companies): 29 per cent
• Hotels: Six percent

Contemporary cruising is also up in 2023, compared to 2022:

• Ocean: +48 per cent
• River: +87 per cent
• Small Ships (yacht): +38 per cent
• Expedition: +42 per cent

Compared to a 92-day average booking window in 2022, 2023 was up more than 14 per cent to a 105-day average booking window.

Future bookings hold promise

Future sales from Virtuoso’s Canadian members are strong, with a 16 per cent uptick in advance bookings (18-24 months out) compared to the same period in 2022. This is on track with the global percentage of 19 per cent.

The real standout is cruise: Virtuoso’s future cruise bookings from Canadian members are 32 per cent higher than they were for 2022, outpacing global bookings, which are at 30 per cent.

What Canadians want

When it comes to motivations for leisure travel, Canadians are most interested in relaxation and disconnecting, followed by adventure, romance and culture.

1. Relaxation and disconnecting
2. Adventure
3. Romantic getaways
4. Cultural visits
5. Celebrations
6. Health and wellness

Canadians are Willing to Travel Great Distances
Canadians have destination preferences that differ from our neighbours to the south. Canadian travellers are significantly more likely to visit Costa Rica, Portugal and Thailand than U.S. travellers. The top five emerging destinations for Canadians:

1. Costa Rica
2. Japan
3. Portugal
4. Iceland
5. Thailand

For more details on Virtuoso’s network of the world’s best travel agencies, advisors and preferred partners, please visit www.Virtuoso.com.