The trending destinations Canadians want to go on vacation this summer based on Google searches.

Where do Canadians want to go on their summer vacation in 2024?

With soaring inflation prices and the cost of essential shopping skyrocketing, millions of Canadians will plan to cut back on vacation spending. According to data from Ipsos*42% of Canadians say they plan to minimize their spending on vacations in 2024 as a way of dealing with the increased cost of living. Now, as the season changes into spring, more people are wondering what this summer has in store for them from a vacation perspective.

Are Canadians really looking to cut costs when it comes to their annual trip? Or has the economy got us looking outside of our usual go-to destinations?

Our friends at Top10casinos.ca, have used Google search data looking at terms around ‘summer vacations’ to find out which destinations around the world are most in-demand by Canadians looking to book their summer vacation in 2024. So, whether you need some inspiration for your next big trip, or just love a good list, here are the trending destinations Canadians want to go on vacation this summer based on Google searches.

Revealed: Canada’s Top 10 Most in Demand Summer Vacation Hotspots in 2024

Research Reveals New York Will Be Canada’s Favorite Summer Vacation in 2024 – Getting 1.9 Million Searches Every Month

With 1.9 million monthly searches and a 6% increase in searches in the last 30 days, the metropolis of New York is officially Canada’s most desired destination for a summer vacation this year. Analyzing individual attractions that Canadians are most interested in visiting, searches for ‘new york broadway shows 2024’ are up 9,900% and people searching for ‘new york yankees schedule 2024’ are up 5,800%. For Canadians looking for an early Spring vacation, searches for ‘new york weather in April’ are up 750% in the last 30 days.

City Break Destinations Incredibly Popular for Canadian Summer Vacations in 2024

Half of the top 10 most-searched for summer vacation spots by Canadians are city break destinations with San Francisco, Las Vegas and Honolulu topping the list. The data shows that Vancouver residents are getting heart eyes for San Francisco. In the last month, there were 16,550 searches for summer vacations in the Golden Gate City and searches for ‘Vancouver San Francisco cruises’ are up 29% since the same time last year.

• The Cold European Country of Iceland Has the MOST Search Increases – Ranking Above Beach Favorite, Mexico Beaches, relaxing by the pool and all you can drink cocktails are usually synonymous with summer, but according to our study, Canadians want to escape the heat in favor of colder climes. With an average of over 689,980 monthly searches and a huge 122% increase in 30 days, Iceland surprisingly ranks in front of Mexico as a go-to vacation destination this summer. Looking at why Canadians might be interested in visiting the land of ice and fire, searches for ‘northern lights’ are up 10,900% and people looking at ‘portugal v iceland’ have increased 1,043% on Google. According to the regional data, Niagara Falls residents in particular are looking for a totally unique experience this summer, with searches for ‘Iceland summer vacation’ up 200% since the same time last year.
• Cuba Revealed as Canada’s Most Desired Beach Destination This Summer – Ranking Above Mexico and Costa RicaWith more than 712,000 monthly searches and an increase of 36% in 30 days, Cuba is revealed as Canada’s most desired beach vacation destination for summer 2024. According to the data, Canadians are researching long distance swimming in the country, with searches for ‘swim from cuba to florida’ up 3,500% and ‘vacations to cuba’ up 333%.
• The Dominican Republic Ranks in Top 10 With over 97,000 monthly searches for ‘The Dominican Republic summer vacation’ and a 35% increase in the past month – it’s evident the Caribbean Island will be one of the most coveted destinations by Canadians this summer, which is why it features in the top 10. When analyzing search trends on a city level, Montréal has seen a 25% increase in residents’ searching for the beautiful beach spot, and Ottawa shows a 20% surge.

Mapped: Most Desired Vacation Destinations Across Canada, Revealed

• Las Vegas Named the Most Desired Destination The gambling capital of the world is the most searched for city across the 10 cities of Alberta with searches spiking by nearly half (48%) since the same time last year. With 1.7 million monthly searches and a 12% increase in Canadian’s searching for the desert oasis summer vacation, Las Vegas has seen a 6% increase in search increases than topspot New York, the city also ranks above favorites Cuba and Mexico.
• Greece Ranks Second as Research Reveals European Summer Vacations Most Popular with Ontario ResidentsThe data shows there’s a rapid number of Canadians looking to experience a European summer vacation this year, with both Greece and Italy coming up top in Ontario. Looking at the most searched for destinations, searches for Greece’s picturesque Santorini have increased by 67% since the same period last year across Canada, and Italy’s Rome have spiked 25%.
• Costa Rica is the Most Desired Destination by Two ProvincesFilled with rugged rainforests, pristine lagoons and beautiful beaches, it’s little wonder the Central American country of Costa Rica is the most desired by two parts of Canada. Provinces of Quebec and Manitoba both had Costa Rica as their favorite destination, with searches for the tropical country up by an average of 81% across 10 cities in Quebec since the same time last year. Looking at locations on a city level, searches for ‘all inclusive Costa Rica vacations’ are up 300% in Quebec City, highlighting a need to escape busy metropolitan life.
• Toronto’s 3 Favorite Summer Vacation Spots are all City DestinationsResidents hailing from Ontario’s capital, Toronto, are interested in keeping the summer city spirit alive, with 3 favorite destinations also being city spots. According to the data, Toronto’s favorite destination is Dubai with a 49% increase in searches since the same time last year. Closely followed by Rome (22%), and Miami (20%).

Methodology

1. Using articles around the topic of “bucket list travel destinations”, “best vacations in 2024” we were able to collect a list of approx 100 dream global travel destinations. To allow for us to make sure we’re focusing on those who want to holiday in these locations we assigned the prefixes “summer vacations in” to all locations. These terms were then entered into keywordtool.io to collect the average monthly search volume and search trends (over the last 12 months) per state.
2. Search volumes and trends were gathered using https://keywordtool.io/
3. All data correct and accurate as of 11th April 2024

Sources

https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/canadians-cut-back-2023-and-plan-continue-cuts-2024

For the Silo, Amanda Evans