Forget the passport renewal lines and the currency conversion math — Canadians are falling back in love with their own backyard this summer, and the numbers back it up.
A new campaign from TRAVELSAVERS Canada, called Close to Home, is putting a spotlight on domestic getaways just as travel patterns shift in a big way. Between global uncertainty, a wobbly exchange rate, and the rising cost of international trips, more Canadians are choosing to explore what’s already on their doorstep — and finding it’s more than a consolation prize.
The Numbers Tell the Story
According to a June 2026 Leger 360 survey, a striking 77 percent of Canadians planning a summer leisure trip say they intend to stay in the country. That’s not a niche trend — it’s a full-on shift in how people are vacationing.
“Some of the most memorable travel experiences are waiting right here in Canada,” says Jane Clementino, Senior Vice President and General Manager of TRAVELSAVERS Canada. Travellers, she notes, are discovering destinations they’d overlooked in the past, all while supporting local businesses along the way.
Where Canadians Are Actually Going
The bookings are backing up the survey data, with demand climbing for a handful of standout regions: the Maritimes, Newfoundland, British Columbia, and the Canadian Rockies.
Mark Silvestri, Channel Marketing Coordinator at Globus, points to a kind of cross-country swap happening in real time — Ontario and Western Canada travellers are finally checking bucket-list East Coast destinations off their list, while Eastern Canadians are heading the other direction for classic Western Canada tours through British Columbia, the Rockies, and Alberta.
For travellers eyeing that western swing, there’s no shortage of fresh reasons to go — from the newly opened Revelstoke Skywalk and Malahat SkyWalk’s glass-cube Overhang on Vancouver Island, to Whistler’s summer scene and Victoria’s Fairmont Empress, recently named Canada’s best city hotel for the second year running.
A Slower Kind of Travel
Where Canadians are going is only half the story — how they’re travelling is changing too. Rather than cramming as many stops as possible into one trip, more people are choosing to slow down and settle into fewer places for longer.
“We’re seeing strong domestic interest in destinations that offer both iconic experiences and opportunities to connect in a more intimate way with a place,” says Amelia Sugerman, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications at Collette. The Canadian Rockies remain a magnet for scenery and outdoor adventure, she notes, while Prince Edward Island and the Maritimes are drawing travellers looking to soak up local culture, food, and history at a slower pace.
That appetite for a more intentional, less rushed itinerary is a theme showing up across the travel industry more broadly — road trips and slow travel are having a real moment, not just in Canada but everywhere.
The Role of the Travel Advisor
As more Canadians look inward for their next vacation, professional travel advisors are stepping in to help them find what they might otherwise miss — think personalized itineraries, under-the-radar destinations, and deals that aren’t always easy to find on your own. It’s a service that’s turning “just staying home” into something that feels genuinely worth planning for.
This article is based on a press release from TRAVELSAVERS Canada. Learn more about the Close to Home campaign here, or visit travelsavers.ca for more information.
