Among the Top 20 Most Popular Destinations in Canada for domestic and international travellers, each list had five unique cities amongst the other 15 familiar destinations. Smaller cities or those without popular tourism attractions like Saskatoon, Kelowna, Regina, Kamloops and Kingston, were popular among Canadians but did not make the list for international visitors.
TORONTO – Less flash and more function, best describes Canadians’ travel habits when exploring their own country. According to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI), although Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver reigned supreme for domestic travellers and international visitors, smaller cities like Kelowna and Kingston were also included in the Top 20 Most Popular Destinations for Canucks. International visitors were much more inclined to visit Canada’s larger, more iconic attractions like the emerald waters of Lake Louise or Mont Tremblant in the Laurentian Mountains.
“The three most popular Canadian destinations for international and domestic visitors still ring true based on our research,” says Taylor L. Cole, APR, travel expert for Hotels.com. “However, many of our well-known tourism destinations – particularly those showcasing natural attractions – are more frequently visited by travellers from abroad looking to experience some of the country’s more notable highlights like ski resorts and lakes.”
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Top Domestic Cities for Canadian Travellers |
||
|
City |
Province |
2014 vs. 2013 Popularity Rank |
|
1. Toronto |
Ontario |
No change |
|
2. Montreal |
Quebec |
No change |
|
3. Vancouver |
British Columbia |
No change |
|
4. Edmonton |
Alberta |
+1 |
|
5. Calgary |
Alberta |
+2 |
|
6. Niagara Falls |
Ontario |
-2 |
|
7. Ottawa |
Ontario |
-1 |
|
8. Quebec |
Quebec |
No change |
|
9. Victoria |
British Columbia |
No change |
|
10. Winnipeg |
Manitoba |
+1 |
|
11. Banff |
Alberta |
-1 |
|
12. Saskatoon |
Saskatchewan |
No change |
|
13. London |
Ontario |
+2 |
|
14. Whistler |
British Columbia |
+1 |
|
15. Halifax |
Nova Scotia |
-1 |
|
16. Kelowna |
British Columbia |
No change |
|
17. Regina |
Saskatchewan |
No change |
|
18. Canmore |
Alberta |
No change |
|
19. Kamloops |
British Columbia |
+1 |
|
20. Kingston |
Ontario |
-1 |
Biggest Differences between Domestic and International Travellers
Among the Top 20 Most Popular Destinations in Canada for domestic and international travellers, each list had five unique cities amongst the other 15 familiar destinations. Smaller cities or those without popular tourism attractions like Saskatoon, Kelowna, Regina, Kamloops and Kingston, were popular among Canadians but did not make the list for international visitors. Whereas more expensive destinations known for their outdoor attractions like Lake Louise, Jasper, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Mont Tremblant did. Windsor was the exception, although as a border city, it’s popular among U.S. travellers.
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Top Canadian Cities for International Travellers |
||
|
City |
Province |
2014 vs. 2013 Popularity Rank |
|
1. Toronto |
Ontario |
No change |
|
2. Vancouver |
British Columbia |
No change |
|
3. Montreal |
Quebec |
No change |
|
4. Niagara Falls |
Ontario |
No change |
|
5. Calgary |
Alberta |
No change |
|
6. Quebec |
Quebec |
No change |
|
7. Ottawa |
Ontario |
No change |
|
8. Victoria |
British Columbia |
No change |
|
9. Whistler |
British Columbia |
+2 |
|
10. Edmonton |
Alberta |
No change |
|
11. Banff |
Alberta |
-2 |
|
12. Winnipeg |
Manitoba |
No change |
|
13. Halifax |
Nova Scotia |
No change |
|
14. Windsor |
Ontario |
No change |
|
15. Canmore |
Alberta |
+2 |
|
16. London |
Ontario |
-1 |
|
17. Lake Louise |
Alberta |
+1 |
|
18. Jasper |
Alberta |
-2 |
|
19. Niagara-on-the-Lake |
Canada |
+1 |
|
20. Mont Tremblant |
Canada |
+3 |
Biggest Similarities between Domestic and International Travellers
Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver remained consistent as the top three Canadian cities for both domestic and international travellers. Calgary also remained in fifth position for both travellers, and Edmonton, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Quebec and Victoria were included in the top 10 – albeit with mixed rankings.
Photo caption: Kelowna.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
