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Near, Far, Wherever Are Canadians Travelling To?

Curious about Canadian travel trends for 2023-2024? So were we! Discover the top continents, countries & cities that Canadians searched for & much, much, more!

Around the world in 30 million searches: What destinations are Canadians searching for?

We all know that the next best thing to going on holiday is planning your next one. Many of us at Explore would go so far as to say, that planning is half the fun! There’s nothing quite like researching your dream destinations, creating the perfect itinerary, or salivating over local dishes. Whether you’re dreaming of sun-soaked beaches, unforgettable adventures, or lively city breaks, those Sunday evening Google searches are the perfect distraction from the looming work week.

But we wanted to know - where are Canadians dreaming of heading? To get the scoop, we enlisted the help of a data whizz to uncover the top flight searches across the country. So, let’s jump right in!

From figures to findings: How we collected our data

Using Google data, we discovered that Canadians made 50 million “flights to [location]” searches between September 2023 and August 2024. After filtering the data to include only international flights and exclude US destinations (We figured a trip to the US wasn’t quite the far-flung adventure we were hoping to uncover!), we were left with around 30 million searches to analyse.

And the Canadians didn’t disappoint! With searches to over 200 different countries and nearly 3500 different cities, we had our hands full with a wealth of globetrotting stats!

The big picture: Canada travel trends

Map of Canada showing regional differences in flight searches per 100,000 of population.
Canadian flight search trends by province/region

To start, we wanted to know which provinces or territories made the most “flights to [location]” searches. We know that some provinces are a lot bigger than others, so to keep things fair, we also calculated the search results based on population – measuring searches per 100,000 people.  Here’s how the provinces and territories stacked up:
 
Province/Territory Number of searches    Searches per 100k    Compared to the national average
Ontario 15,458,728 96,635 91%
British Columbia 5,204,204 92,167 82%
Alberta 3,321,078 68,477 36%
Quebec 5,689,429 63,001 25%
Yukon 27,570 60,262 19%
Nova Scotia 521,726 48,644 -4%
Manitoba 710,269 47,857 -5%
Northwest Territories 18,218 40,557 -20%
Prince Edward Island 66,670 37,649 -25%
Saskatchewan 445,422 36,182 -28%
New Brunswick 243,154 28,576 -43%
Newfoundland and Labrador 115,840 21,397 -58%
Nunavut 6,296 15,447 -69%

Even when we take population size into account, Ontario and British Columbia are still flying high with wanderlust searches way above the national average. Meanwhile, Nunavut had the fewest “flights to [location]” searches and sat around 69% below the national average for searches during this time.

Canada's favourite continents

A map of the world showing the most popular continents that Canadians searched for flights to.
Asia and Europe topped Canadian's flight search destinations

Next, we wanted to find out which continents topped the travel charts. And it’s clear that Canadians searched high (and low!) for their ultimate bucket list destinations.
 
Continents Total queries
Europe 11039375
Asia 10842050
North America (excluding USA) 5517457
Africa 1494020
South America 1487873
Oceania 1418924
Antarctic 13555
 
 
Flights to Europe and Asia topped the charts for Canadians last year, and even after excluding the USA from our data pool, North America still came in at third position. In fact, Canadians searched for flights to North America nearly 4x more than they searched for flights to South America. Landing somewhere in the middle, Africa, South America, and Oceania had remarkably similar search volumes. Surprisingly, some 13,000 searches looked into flights to Antarctica! Who knew so many Canadians were ready to trade in the chilly weather for, well, much chillier weather?

Canada’s favourite countries

A bar graph showing the most popular countries that Canadians searched for flights to, including symbols of the countries represented.
The most popular countries searched for by Canadians

Next, we wanted to find out which countries Canadians were itching to visit.
 
Country Number of searches
India 3914328
Mexico 2118317
UK 1812402
France 1433721
Italy 1386832
Japan 1198088
Spain 1120654
Portugal 1032509
Australia 905115
Philippines 763782
 
 
India snagged the top spot with nearly 4 million searches looking for flights to the home of the Taj Mahal. With a population of just under 2 million Indo-Canadians in Canada, we suspect many of these searches were fuelled more by family ties than wanderlust. Mexico took the runner-up spot with just over 2 million searches, followed by the UK, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Australia and the Philippines.

Some destinations didn’t quite pique the imagination of Canadian travellers, such as the Åland Islands, Western Sahara and Tokelau which received the fewest “flights to” searches.

Canada’s favourite cities

Digging deeper into our data, we set out to find out which cities Canadians couldn’t wait to check out and it’s clear that there were a few the Canucks couldn’t pack their bags fast enough for!

 
 
Cities Queries
New Delhi 1342000
London 993000
Paris 922000
Cancun 647000
Dubai 552000
Rome 438000
Amsterdam 396000
Barcelona 389000
Lisbon 370000
Mumbai 311000
 
*Rounded to nearest thousand.

New Delhi, London, Paris, Cancun, Dubai, Rome, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon and Mumbai were the most popular cities searched for. Interestingly, a small number of Canadians seemed to be on a quest for name-inspired adventures. Our data revealed searches for Canadian city namesakes around the world, like Toronto in the UK, Montreal in France and even another Toronto in Australia!

The UK took the crown for the highest proportion of unpopular cities, with 68 unique searches including York, Newcastle and Exeter!
A woman stands with her back to the camera, holding a map in her hands. She wears a rucksack and is surrounded by trees.
Navigating new adventures

But lots of travellers were keeping their options open with a whopping 40% of the searches not specifying a city!
 
Country Unspecified City Queries
Japan 1052000
India 1046000
Italy 532000
Mexico 524000
Portugal 498000
Costa Rica 418000
Greece 410000
UK 400000
Spain 392000
Australia 373000
 
*Rounded to the nearest thousand.
It might be that these countries have broad appeal but whatever the case, these holidayers are keeping their options open.

Breaking it down: Regional perspectives

After checking out the country-wide stats, we shifted our attention to how “flights to [location]” searches differed across Canadian regions. Once again, we crunched the numbers based on population – measuring searches per 100,000 people – so we could fairly compare regions.
 

Regional preferences for continent

A woman stands with her back to the camera, holding the handle of a navy suitcase. She is looking up at a blurry airport departure board and wearing a bright orange rucksack.
Canadians are setting their sights on new horizons

At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be much difference in the continents Canadian regions searched for. Europe and Asia stand out as crowd favourites, both across the country and within individual regions.
 
*Figures shown are searches per 100k population

Ontario emerges as a region that searches more broadly than its neighbours while British Columbia stands out for its strong interest in Asia. Holidaymakers in Quebec were excited about Europe but showed way less interest in other continents compared to other regions. In fact, jet-setters in Quebec were significantly less likely to travel to Oceania than to other continents with only ~3% of their searches heading to this continent.

Regional preferences for country

A map of Canada, split by region, showing flags representing the most searched-for destination countries.

India was a popular destination across most regions of Canada

So, while there weren’t many regional differences between the continents Canadians were searching for, what about the countries?

Well, flights to India really took the lead for Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, the UK topped the list for New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Philippines came out on top for Nunavut. In Quebec, the focus was on the land of bread and cheese – France of course!

Regional preferences for city

A set of images representing postcards that Canadians may have sent home from their favourite flight destinations.
When it comes to city-specific searches, New Delhi came out on top for Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. Meanwhile, London topped the list for New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and interestingly, it also ranked high in Nova Scotia, even though the UK wasn’t the leading country they searched for. Of course, Paris was a standout pick for Quebec!

Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan showed equal interest in London and New Delhi. Meanwhile Nunavut had a three-way tie, with travellers searching for flights to London, Paris and Cancun equally.

 

Getting the lowdown on Canadian holiday destinations

We were curious about the countries Canadians were searching for flights to and wanted to know a few things:

- What kinds of holidays were they looking for?
- Did they have a specific city in mind?
- And how do these choices stack up against each destinations neighbouring countries?

While we can easily see the cities they searched for and compare those to neighbouring countries, it’s a bit tricky to figure out what type of holiday Canucks were after. But we gave it a go! We loosely grouped cities based on the kinds of holiday we think travellers might be looking for:

City breaks: Fast-paced getaways filled with local attractions, landmarks, culture and food.

Beach holidays: Relaxing escapes where sun, sea and sand are the top priorities.

Adventure travel: Exciting trips packed with stunning scenery and thrill-seeking activities.

Of course, it’s not an exact science - some cities offer a mix of experiences. But it’s a loose way to get a feel for what Canadian travellers might have in mind!
We took a deep dive into five destinations that really stood out for us: Japan, Portugal, Vietnam, Malaysia, and South Africa.

Japan

A view of Chureito Pagoda in the foreground with Mount Fuji in the distance. Autumn foliage surround the building, and a blue sky is overhead.
Canadians are enjoying everything Japan has to offer

First up is Japan! From the ultramodern cityscape of Tokyo to the ancient temples of Kyoto, Japan has the perfect blend of history and innovation, natural beauty and modern attractions. But what were Canadians really looking for when they searched for flights to this fascinating destination?

Our data revealed a whopping 90% of searches for “flights to Japan” didn’t mention a specific city. However, for those that did, the top destinations were Osaka, Tokyo, Okinawa, Narita and Sapporo.

Over a quarter of the searches for flights to Japan came from British Columbia, which perhaps makes perfect sense as it is the closest province to the country – with a flight time of under 10 hours.

Interestingly, Canadians searched for flights to Japan nearly three times more than neighbouring country China – which takes around one and half hours longer to reach.
 
Rank Ontario British Columbia Alberta Quebec Yukon Nova Scotia Manitoba Northwest Territories Prince Edward Island Saskatchewan New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nunavut
China 1743 2019 809 766 369 334 358 296 332 277 209 112 147
Russian Federation 292 249 193 180 109 119 124 216 90 91 110 63 74
Japan 3472 6179 2452 1285 2525 1037 1512 1897 644 937 777 612 540
South Korea 789 1332 759 361 514 320 466 276 214 278 140 103 140
Taiwan 266 773 236 92 219 67 125 134 83 104 47 33 22
North Korea 38 43 27 13 13 23 25 0 15 19 16 15 0
*Figures shown are searches per 100k population

When we took a closer look at the cities that caught Canada’s attention, we found that a huge 84% of searches were for city getaways to explore everything from Tokyo’s neon lights to Kyoto’s historic temples. Beach holidays claimed 14% of searches and adventure excursions made up just 2% of queries.

Portugal

A street scene of a yellow tram trundling through Lisbon, Portugal
Sun, street food and Canadians?

Next up, Portugal! With historic streets in Lisbon and ancient footpaths in Madeira, this beautiful country is the perfect destination for travellers who enjoy a mix of vibrant city life and serene coastal views. 

When our Canadian friends searched for flights to this diverse destination, more than half of the queries specified a city – talk about knowing exactly where you want to go! The top Portuguese cities on their radar were Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Ponto Delgada and Funchal.

Interestingly, 21% of the searches for Portugal came from Ontario. However, when we compared searches for Portugal to neighbouring countries, Spain often came out on top. Quebec searched for Spain ~25% more than they did Portugal and British Columbia searched for flights to Spain ~48% more!

Slightly farther away, France was more likely to be searched for by travellers from British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Yukon, Manitoba and Saskatchewan than Portugal. 
 
 
  Ontario British Columbia Alberta Quebec Yukon Nova Scotia Manitoba Northwest Territories Prince Edward Island Saskatchewan New Brunswick New Foundland and Labrador Nunavut Total
France 2669 2387 1849 7883 1722 1390 1632 884 980 928 1352 778 623 25078
Spain 3486 2521 1712 3107 1486 1542 945 670 1144 678 1084 966 240 19582
Portugal 3731 1701 1204 2482 1270 1799 943 788 1163 486 972 1134 309 17984
Morocco 488 298 251 2103 184 176 128 154 119 92 406 81 86 4564


Once we roughly organised the Portuguese destinations by the type of holidays they provided, we found that city breaks accounted for around 87% of searches – perhaps a surprising figure for British holidayers who often travel to Portugal for beach holidays! Relaxing beach-style holidays only made up for around 10% of the Canadian searches and adventure breaks only 3%. Is Portugal a bit too far for Canadians seeking sun and sand?

Vietnam

A street in Hội An with yellow buildings lining the right side of the road.
Cycle through beautiful Vietnam on one of Explore’s cycling tours!

Third on our list is Vietnam! With breathtaking landscapes, ancient temples, palm-lined canals and millions of mopeds, Vietnam is a feast for the senses.

With so much to explore in this vibrant country, it’s fascinating that while 55% of Canadians didn’t specify a city in their searches, a solid 45% did! Among those, the most popular destinations were Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Nha Trang.

British Columbia led the way in searches for Vietnam and accounted for 20% of the searches made in Canada.
 
Vietnam outranked many of its neighbours, with flight searches to the destination outstripping those made for Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Singapore. But, if we were to declare a winner in the popularity contest, Thailand walked away with the medal, with 200% more queries.
 
  Ontario British Columbia Alberta Quebec Yukon Nova Scotia Manitoba Northwest Territories Prince Edward Island Saskatchewan New Brunswick

Newfoundland

and Labrador

 Nunavut Total
Thailand 1507 2471 1731 1388 2129 879 890 1336 741 984 565 403 542 15567
Malaysia 345 396 219 123 151 132 100 78 87 100 69 61 39 1899
Vietnam 675 999 663 428 590 203 314 356 194 270 165 111 113 5082
Laos 20 29 15 21 63 11 11 18 8 11 6 4 0 217
Cambodia 82 108 75 67 127 31 39 67 30 36 18 22 34 736
Singapore 4 11 4 2 0 1 2 0 0 2 1 1 0 29


When we took a closer look at the cities Canadians were looking for flights to, we found that most travellers were looking for a bustling city break. With ~82% of queries ready to explore narrow streets, local market stalls and rich historical sites.

Around 12% of travellers were looking for a blend of relaxing beach vibes and adventure activities while ~6% of visitors were simply looking to unwind on the beach.

Malaysia

A view of Malaysia's city skyline and greenery in the foreground.
Experience unique views - including panorama views from one of the world’s tallest structures, the Petronas Towers!

With jungle waterways, lush rainforests, exotic wildlife and white-sand beaches, Malaysia is an unforgettable destination and the fourth on our list.

More than half (52%) of the Canadian globetrotters who searched for flights to Malaysia opted for the freedom to explore and didn’t specify which city they wanted to go to. For those that did, Kuala Lumpur, George Town, Langkawi, Sepang and Kota Kinabalu were the most popular choices.

British Columbia led the way in searches for Malaysia, accounting for 21% of all the searches made in Canada. However, Malaysia didn’t capture the same imagination – or search interest – as its neighbour, Indonesia. British Columbians searched for flights to Indonesia nearly 310% more, while Canadians overall searched for Indonesian flights approximately 350% more. That said, Malaysia beat Cambodia, Singapore and Sri Lanka in popularity.
 
  Ontario British Columbia Alberta Quebec Yukon Nova Scotia Manitoba Northwest Territories Prince Edward Island Saskatchewan New Brunswick

Newfoundland

and Labrador

 Nunavut Total
Malaysia 345 396 219 123 151 132 100 78 87 100 69 61 39 1899
Indonesia 740 1623 916 741 995 505 586 746 416 529 260 201 258 8515
Sri Lanka 470 200 135 92 63 67 96 67 45 43 36 36 49 1400
Cambodia 82 108 75 67 127 31 39 67 30 36 18 22 34 736
Singapore 4 11 4 2 0 1 2 0 0 2 1 1 0 29


A deeper dive into the cities Canadians searched for showed that ~87% of the queries were looking for urban getaways. Undoubtedly to explore Malaysia’s vibrant urban landscape, including the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, the Merdeka Square and the shopping district of Bukit Bintang. Relaxing beach holiday locations accounted for ~6% of the searches, while 7% of the queries looked for locations known for their adventurous activities and natural beauty.

South Africa

A couple walking along the Boomslang Walkway, a canopy bridge above foliage in Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town.
Canopy adventures await in Cape Town

Last on our list is stunning South Africa. World-class wines, whale watching, safari adventures and vibrant cities are just some of the highlights that await in this captivating country.

When Canadians set their sights on South Africa, they knew exactly where they wanted to go. In fact, only 29% of searches for flights to South Africa didn’t specify a city. The cities that inspired the most wanderlust in Canadians were Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria, Gqeberha and George.

While Ontario and British Columbia generally topped the search charts for flights to various destinations, the Northwest Territories led the way for South Africa, with 15% of all searches from Canada coming from this territory.

South Africa really stood out as a favourite among African destinations, with ~150% more searches for flights than Kenya. As a matter of fact, South Africa had more searches than Zambia, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, and Botswana - combined.
 
  Ontario British Columbia Alberta Quebec Yukon Nova Scotia Manitoba Northwest Territories Prince Edward Island Saskatchewan New Brunswick

Newfoundland

and Labrador

 Nunavut Total
South Africa 465 500 446 219 404 257 215 597 178 238 169 100 319 4107
Kenya 268 212 242 84 153 92 139 167 71 79 51 35 71 1665
Zambia 21 20 16 6 59 14 21 27 6 11 9 9 0 218
Madagascar 27 39 20 113 52 20 15 22 11 8 34 9 22 395
Zimbabwe 44 43 74 7 87 22 33 361 17 19 9 25 135 878
Namibia 26 21 24 16 35 10 8 11 8 8 6 7 0 181
Botswana 11 13 10 4 11 5 6 31 5 7 4 8 0 115
Mozambique 5 5 4 4 0 4 4 9 0 4 1 1 0 41


When we checked out the cities in South Africa that Canadians were looking for flights to, we found that just over 50% of those destinations offered a blend of city and adventure experiences. With the “City of Gold” Johannesburg serving up a mix of wildlife experiences and historical sites and Cape Town combining cage diving trips and city excursions. A further 42% of the destinations focused solely on city life. 

Explore what's next for Canadian travellers

So, there you have it! Our Canadian friends searched far and wide for their holiday destinations last year. With 30 million searches spanning all 7 continents, over 200 different countries and nearly 3500 different cities. They considered flights to every kind of destination, from sun-drenched beaches and adrenaline-fueled escapades to bustling cities. In the words of famous Canadian singer, Celine Dion – well, sort of - Canuck globetrotters know that “near, far, where ever you are [looking to go!]” every great journey starts with a little planning and a Google search! 

We wonder where their searches will take them next year…

Why not find out more about the destinations and experiences we offer and make unforgettable memories at one of our small group adventures? Don’t just travel, Explore!

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