With just days to go until Thanksgiving for Canadians, travel is certainly an option for many looking to take advantage of the long weekend, including international travel.
“This year, we’re seeing more than half of the travel be international for Thanksgiving from Canada, that’s a big change from where we were a couple of years ago,” said Laura Lindsay, director of communications. for Skyscanner’s consumer and public relations. Yahoo Canada.
“New Delhi is the main destination for Canadians during Thanksgiving. Obviously, it is a time when people [tend to] choosing to reconnect with friends and family, or taking that extra time to go a little further… There are domestic destinations in the top five, which is why Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver also appear. But then New York, London and [Los Angeles] right after that, so you’re really looking at the long-distance comeback [travel].”
As Lindsay highlights, these Thanksgiving travel trends for Canadians are representative of a broader pattern of travel “normalization,” including for trips further from home. Asian destinations, such as Seoul, are also starting to appear as popular destinations for Canadian travelers.
How to get travel deals, even during busy vacations
While some of the marketing around great travel deals for hotels and airfare has dropped significantly, especially after a summer of chaos at airports, that doesn’t mean all travel deals are closed, you just need to be more strategic. and flexible with your reservations.
“I would say that there are still deals, I think the difference with the holiday season is that people tend to be less flexible about where they can go, because they choose to visit friends or family and they will have a particular location in mind,” said Laura Lindsay. “We would always say that the more flexible you can be, the more likely you are to get a better deal.”
If you can’t be flexible on location, consider being flexible on departure date. So if you can, for example… travel on the morning of Thanksgiving and arrive at your destination in the afternoon, if you can not travel on those more popular days, you will certainly get a cheaper price.Laura Lindsay, Head of Consumer Communications and Public Relations, Skyscanner
On sites like Skyscanner, for example, when searching for a flight, travelers can not only compare the best deals by airline and date, but also include airports close to their departure and arrival cities, which Lindsay highlighted as a particularly useful tool. . way to take advantage of the lowest rates possible.
“It’s also worth considering different departure airports or airlines,” Lindsay said. “If you’re someone who tends to be quite loyal to one airline for points, actually, that’s not necessarily the best thing to do, it may be worth considering flying with different airlines, for example, where you’ll potentially unlock better deals.”
As for how prices have been, Lindsay emphasized that there has been “a lot of fluctuation,” but it depends a lot on the route and travel time.
“While [airfare prices] they have increased with Canadian travelers, they are leveling off and stabilizing,” he said. and a flying plane ticket.
Just last week, the Canadian government removed a series of travel rules related to the pandemic, including removing the mandate to wear masks on planes and trains, and submitting proof of vaccination for air, train and cruise travel.
Even though the travel industry has had rules in place, to varying degrees, for more than two years, the desire to travel was certainly still there.
“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen such an enduring love of travel,” Lindsay said. “In Europe, for example, you would have corridors that would open up and the increase in demand would skyrocket, 600 percent in some cases, at that immediate point, because people were itching to escape.”
What to do in Canada for Thanksgiving
If you’re looking to stay more local this Thanksgiving, whether in or near your hometown or traveling within Canada, there are still plenty of holiday-related activities you can take advantage of.
Jasper, High.
Take advantage of the Thanksgiving weekend sale at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, with a series of activities for the whole family on the property between October 7 and 9. This includes a canoe tour of Lac Beauvert, pumpkin carving, an outdoor movie where you can curl up by the fire and roast marshmallows or marshmallows, a scavenger hunt, and a full Thanksgiving dinner and Sunday brunch. There are also a number of hiking and biking experiences in the area, from short trips to overnight excursions.
Niagara Falls, Ontario.
People flock to the Niagara region of Ontario specifically to enjoy the beauty of the fall season, and a must-do activity is taking a walk or bike ride along the Niagara River Recreational Trail. Another great way to take in the beauty of the season is from the Skylon Tower observation deck, 233 meters above the falls, and there’s also a revolving dining room.
Whistler, BC
Fall in Whistler is the perfect time for fall tours and activities, including ATV tours where you can climb Blackcomb Mountain, Superfly Ziplines where you soar through the air to enjoy Cougar Mountain and the Whistler Valley, and a Live Escape Room. unique.
Quebec City, Que.
Taking a walk through Old Québec (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in the fall is a quintessential Canadian experience, including Dufferin Terrace for a great view of the St. Lawrence River and Château Frontenac. This time of year is a particularly good time to visit if you’re not a fan of the cooler weather Quebec City experiences each winter. You can also watch the migration of snow geese in the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area (until the end of October).