Skycanner Travel Study: Top 10 Destinations for Canadians

Canadian travellers are searching for information on trips to Turks and Caicos, Thailand, Peru and Portugal. They’re also looking at sports and art-oriented trips, and for a taste of cowboy culture.

Skyscanner has unveiled its annual travel trends report, revealing insights into Canadian traveller behaviour and spending for the coming year.

The results were spelled out to a group of media at a posh dinner at Antonio Park restaurant in Toronto. Open Jaw was among those in attendance to hear about the report.

Using proprietary data, a survey of more than 18,000 travellers and industry insights, Skyscanner’s Travel Trends report reveals the top 10 trending and best value destinations and looks at a variety of travel trends for Canadians for the year ahead.

Here are some highlights from their travel trends report for 2025.

Top 10 Destinations for Canadians

It’s clear that Canada is interested in culturally and historically rich destinations, seeking immersive experiences that combine natural beauty, unique traditions, and vibrant local cultures.

Here are the top 10 destinations with the biggest year-on-year increase in Skyscanner searches*:

1. Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos, +713% search increase
2. Cusco, Peru: +163% search increase
3. Krabi, Thailand: +158% search increase
4. Madeira, Portugal: +153% search increase
5. Okinawa, Japan: +145% search increase
6. Tromsø, Norway: +127% search increase
7. Marrakesh, Morocco: +123% search increase
8. Florence, Italy: +115% search increase
9. San Antonio, USA: +99% search increase
10. Colorado Springs, USA: +94% search increase

*Source: Destinations seeing increase in flight searches between January 1, 2024 and June 30, 2024 for travel throughout 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Asked about the huge rise for Grand Turk Island, a Skyscanner spokesperson said it could be due to a new marketing program the destination has introduced, as well as new routes. Still, it’s a pretty amazing jump.

Biggest Price Drops for Canadian travellers

These are the top factors determining wallet-friendly holiday destinations amongst Canadians:

• The cost of flights (71%)
• The cost of hotels (64%)
• The cost of food and drink (37%)

These are the top 10 best-value destinations given recent price changes for Canadian travellers*:

1. Florence, Italy: -29% price drop
2. Faro, Portugal: -28% price drop
3. Bogota, Colombia: -28% price drop
4. Madeira, Portugal: -28% price drop
5. Quito, Ecuador: –27% price drop
6. Reykjavik, Iceland: -21% price drop
7. Paris, France: -20% price drop
8. Rome, Italy: -19% price drop
9. Oslo, Norway: -18% price drop
10. Barcelona, Spain: -17% price drop

*Based on % price drop for economy class return flight booked between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024 for travel throughout 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Travel Smart, Spend Savvy

Despite today’s economic challenges, demand for trips remains strong. Canadians continue to prioritize their travel plans and budgets, with 83% intending to travel as much or more in 2025. However, finding the best value remains a key consideration.

For 62% of Canadians, the cost of flights is one of the most important factors, with many budgeting the same or more for airfare in 2025 compared to last year.

The Trends Taking Flight

The 2025 report uncovers seven key trends:

• Sport Mode: Passion for sport is influencing how travellers, especially younger ones, explore a destination.
• Astro-Adventures: Astro-tourism combines the adventure of exploring celestial events alongside the mystical insights of astrology.
• Reset-Jetters: The rise of health, resilience and longevity tourism.
• Art-Venture: Art and culture have long been a favourite motivation to travel. Today, 53% of Canadian travellers say culture is the most important reason for choosing a holiday destination.
• Cowboy Core: Yee-haw! 35% of Canadian travellers are fans of Cowboy Core, rising to 56% among 18-24-year-olds. No doubt the TV show Yellowstone has something to do with this.
• Horti-Culture: Canadian travellers are a green-fingered bunch. A significant 71% plan to visit gardens while on vacation.
• Gami-Vacation: Building on last year’s trend of movie and TV inspired travel, 34% of Canadians want to book a trip abroad based on locations from their favourite video game.

Find the Full 2025 Travel Trends Report here.