Spring break travel expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels: Vancouver International Airport

Spring break is just days away for many students and the demand to take off and escape the B.C. winter is growing.

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is reporting 1.1 million travellers will pass through the airport over the next two weeks which is a four per cent increase from last year. This year’s expected figures are surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

In 2019, the airport saw around 1,058,995 travellers compared to the projected 1,098,053 in 2024.

From March 18 to April 2, YVR is expecting an average of 68,628 passengers per day and a total of 9,138 arriving and departing flights. The number of bags expected is 40,064.

The airport is anticipating the busiest days will be next Wednesday and April 1. The airport is urging travellers to be prepared and arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for U.S. and international flights.

This year’s most popular destinations in Canada for spring break are Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton.

South of the border, Canadians are flocking to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Honolulu. The top overseas destinations include Hong Kong, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Tokyo and London.