85 per cent of Canadians would like to explore Canada this summer instead of travelling out of country.
TORONTO – CanadaStays announced a long-term partnership with HomeAway, Inc., as a minority stakeholder in the company who led a $6-million round of fundraising for CanadaStays. Torstar Corporation also participated in this round of funding. The deal allows CanadaStays to bring its supply of 30,000 Canadian whole-home vacation rental properties to meet the demand of HomeAway’s North American audience.
“With our HomeAway partnership, travelers will have the benefit of choosing from a combined total of 40,000 Canadian whole-home vacation rental properties,” said Mark Bordo, CEO and Founder of CanadaStays. “We’re excited to create an even richer vacation marketplace for travelers looking to explore Canada from coast to coast.”
“Canada is an increasingly popular destination for travelers – last year, we saw a double digit percentage increase in demand for some of our most popular destinations like Montreal and British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast,” said Jon Gray, HomeAway senior vice president of the Americas. “We’re excited about our strategic investment and partnership with CanadaStays, and look forward to helping travelers discover their amazing properties.”
CanadaStays celebrates the staycation this summer
CanadaStays is declaring this summer the Summer of the Staycation. A new survey commissioned by Leger Marketing on behalf of CanadaStays shows tremendous support for Canadians choosing to staycation this summer, with 85 per cent stating they would like to visit a province or territory within Canada for vacation this summer. In fact, nearly seven out of 10 Canadians (69 per cent) are likely to vacation within Canada this summer.
The survey found that the Atlantic Provinces (38 per cent), Ontario (36 per cent) and British Columbia (35 per cent) were the top preferred travel destinations this summer, with 30 per cent of Canadians also considering a visit to Quebec.
Other key findings include:
- A third of Canadians (33 per cent) would prefer to stay in a whole-home vacation rental property when travelling with family or friends, rather than a hotel.
- Four in 10 households with children under 18 are more likely to choose a whole-home vacation rental property over a hotel (39 per cent vs. 31 per cent).
- When travelling with family, 77 per cent of Canadians say that an ideal vacation accommodation offers good value for money, and more than half of Canadians with kids (52 per cent) are looking for practical amenities (i.e. laundry facilities, kitchen, etc.).
- When selecting an ideal vacation accommodation, 40 per cent of women say that it should feel comfortable, like home.
“The benefits of a whole-home vacation rental property are endless,” said Bordo. “With more space, comfort, amenities and privacy, plus access to areas of Canada that hotels don’t service, CanadaStays is the ideal solution for Canadians looking to staycation this summer.”
“For families or people travelling in groups of friends, a whole-home vacation rental also provides exceptional value, and we know that this is something Canadians are looking for,” adds Bordo.
With a quick and easy online booking system, CanadaStays makes planning a summer vacation simple and worry-free. Renters can book securely right on the property’s listing page with Book It, CanadaStays’ custom-built booking and payment system, which allows travelers to make reservations and pay by credit card – the safest payment mechanism available. Travelers can feel confident about their vacation home selection with access to honest user ratings and reviews prior to booking, promoting transparency within the rental community.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
