Canadians Will Ring In 2017 In These Top Destinations

As 2016 comes to an end, the countdown is on for Canadians planning a New Year’s Eve getaway. We’re already seeing a 10% increase in searches for NYE travel (which is impressive considering we saw an 11% decrease last year).¹

So exactly where are these travel-savvy Canucks heading?²

1. 
   

   Where there’s sun.

   
   

   Canadian travelers seem to want to start their new year in the sand, Florida destinations like Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Miami are 3 of the 10 most popular destinations.

2. 
   

   Where they can break with tradition.

   
   

   We also see plenty of Canadians looking to try something new in cities that go a bit off the beaten path. Interest to places like Dubai, Guatemala, Reykjavik, Seoul and Madrid doubled when compared with last year.

3. 
   

   Where everybody knows your name.

   
   

   That said, there’s no place like home. Vancouver and Toronto are still reigning champs of NYE travel. However, Kelowna, BC also made an impressive showing with an almost 70% increase in interest.

4. 
   

   Where they can be on-trend.

   
   

   Though we identified general trends among Canadian travelers, when we drill down into major urban areas, we also find that certain cities have their own ideas for what’s trending in New Year’s Eve travel.

• Calgary: Aloha, 2017. Hawaii is still the destination of choice for Calgarians and interest in Honolulu alone has soared by 44% since 2015.
• Edmonton: More and more Edmontonians are taking a break from winter in sun-filled Los Angeles.
• Ottawa: No turning into pumpkins here. When the clock strikes midnight, Ottawans will be living it up in Orlando.
• Winnipeg: Residents from Canada’s Gateway to the West will be singing “Auld Lang Syne” close to home. Toronto is their destination of choice.
• Toronto: While domestic destinations like Vancouver and Calgary technically top the list, more and more Torontonians are feeling the pull of international cities. Both Dubai and Reykjavik saw triple digit jumps in interest.
• Vancouver: Those party hats won’t be enough to block out the sun, but those from the ‘Couv are looking at San Jose, CA to celebrate.
• Montreal: Ever posh, the “Montréalais” are jet-setting to Europe to welcome 2017. Amsterdam and Paris were among the top destination for visitors from the City of Saints.

It’s clear that when the ball drops, Canadian travelers are already committed to keeping their “travel more” resolutions. To see where you should travel to for New Year’s Eve, take our quiz.

1 Methodology: Search dates are from August 1, 2013 – November 27, 2016 YTD for each corresponding year with travel dates from December 26, 2013  – January 3, 2017 for each corresponding year.

2 Methodology: Search dates are September 1, 2016 – November 3, 2016 with travel dates starting December 26-31, 2016 – and ending dates January 1-4, 2017.