Canadians’ Winter Travel Plans

December 20, 2023

As the holiday season approaches and the weather gets colder throughout Canada, many Canadians are planning to escape the cold and travel to different destinations during the winter. From November 17 to 20, 2023, and from December 8 to 11, 2023, we surveyed Canadians to see where they plan to travel, how recent economic difficulties have affected their travel plans, and more.

Download the report to learn more.

Highlights of our Study on Canadians’ Winter Travel Plans Include…

  • Canadians Love Their Winter Travel: Close to 40% of Canadians are likely to travel this winter, with 36% planning to travel for leisure and 11% planning to travel for business purposes. 
  • Warm Weather Destinations and Visiting Friends are Popular: The top two reasons for traveling this winter are to escape to warm weather destinations (38%) and visit friends and family (35%), with plans to travel outside Canada being more prevalent (62%) than travelling within the country (47%).
  • A Significant Number of Travellers are Making Different Spending Choices to Deal with Inflation: Nearly three-quarters (74%) of leisure travelers are making travel compromises, such as reducing shopping spend (31%), choosing less expensive accommodations (28%), cutting back on dining out (26%) and spending less on activities/attractions (26%).
  • Warm-Weather Destinations Top Travellers’ Wish Lists: If given a free voucher to travel to any vacation destination in the world this winter, more than 40% of Canadians would choose to escape to somewhere warm, with Hawaii topping the list.
  • Food, Music & Entertainment are Travel Trends to Keep an Eye On: 30% of Canadians chose a specific destination to experience the local food scene, while about 20% of Canadians have visited a specific location to attend a music concert or to visit a region featured in a TV show/movie.

Methodology

This web survey was conducted from November 17 to 20, 2023, and December 8 to 11, 2023, with 1,531 and 1,530 Canadians aged 18 or older respectively, randomly recruited from LEO’s online panel. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey. For comparison, a probability sample of 1,530 or1,531 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.50%, 19 times out of 20.

Related Posts

2026 U.S. Midterms

With the U.S. midterm elections approaching on November 3, 2026, our latest survey examines Americans' voting intentions, confidence in the electoral process and views of President Donald Trump's job performance. Conducted from October 23 to 25, 2026, the survey...

Halloween 2026: Canadians Aren’t Too Old for a Little Fright

Halloween isn't something everyone truly outgrows. Our latest survey shows that while family traditions remain a big part of the holiday, younger adults are finding their own ways to celebrate. Participation also varies across the country, and not everyone considers...

BC Election 2026: Conservatives Gain Ground in Final Days

With British Columbians heading to the polls on October 24, the Conservatives enter the final days of the provincial election campaign with a five-point lead over the NDP. According to our latest BC election poll, conducted from October 20 to 22, voting intentions...

Quebec Election: A Positive Reception for the PQ

Two weeks after the October 5, 2026, provincial election, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon's new minority government is receiving a generally positive reception from Quebecers. However, the results point to different expectations when it comes to the new government and...

Get the latest in your inbox

Stay up to date on cutting-edge research, news and more.