Why Travel Within Canada Is Booming Right Now
If it feels like more Ontarians are talking about trips within Canada lately, it’s not just anecdotal. The numbers tell a clear story: domestic travel isn’t just holding steady — it’s surging.
According to Statistics Canada, Canadians took 99.3 million trips in the second quarter alone, an 8.5 per cent increase from the same period last year. The real shift is where those trips are happening.
They’re happening at home.
Canadians Are Travelling More (Just Not South)
One of the most telling data points sits just below the headline numbers. While overall travel increased, trips outside the country fell sharply.
Canadians took 8.9 million trips abroad in Q2, down 12.1 per cent year over year. Trips to the United States dropped even more dramatically. Visits south of the border declined 21.6 per cent, with total spending down nearly 15 per cent compared to 2024.
At the same time, domestic trips surged. Canadians logged 58.6 million same-day trips within the country, up 12.4 per cent, and 32 million overnight trips, up 8.4 per cent.
That’s not a temporary wobble. That’s a behavioural shift.
Domestic Travel Is Driving Real Spending
This isn’t just more movement — it’s meaningful economic activity.
From April to June, Canadians spent $20.3 billion travelling domestically, a 13.5 per cent increase year over year. Add another $13.8 billion spent between January and March, and it becomes clear that Canadians are actively choosing to invest their travel dollars at home.
Meanwhile, average spending per same-day visit to the U.S. sat at $125, a number that quietly reinforces why many Ontarians are rethinking quick border hops.
Domestic travel isn’t feeling like a compromise. It’s feeling like better value.
What’s Driving the Boom?
From what I’m seeing, this surge comes down to a few overlapping forces.
First, exchange rate fatigue. The math no longer works the way it once did. Costs add up faster, and the perceived value gap has narrowed.
Second, travel friction. Border waits, planning complexity, and uncertainty take energy. Staying within Canada removes that layer.
Third — and this matters more than it sounds — intentional travel. Canadians are choosing trips that feel restorative rather than exhaustive. Fewer boxes to check. More room to actually enjoy where they are.
Why Cities Like Vancouver Benefit Most
Not every destination benefits equally from this shift. The winners are places that offer variety without demanding a long itinerary.
Vancouver sits right in that sweet spot.
For Ontarians, it replaces multiple types of trips at once. It delivers the culture and food scene people once looked for in major U.S. cities, alongside the nature that feels increasingly essential to a good getaway.
You can walk the seawall in the morning, explore Stanley Park near Prospect Point or the Stanley Park Pavilion in the afternoon, and still feel unhurried. You can step into coastal rainforest or visit places like Capilano Suspension Bridge Park without committing an entire day.
That balance aligns perfectly with how Canadians are travelling right now.
Fewer Long Trips, Smarter Short Ones
Another pattern hiding inside the data is trip structure. Domestic travel makes shorter, well-planned trips more appealing.
Instead of saving everything for one major vacation, Canadians are spreading experiences out across the year. Long weekends. Shoulder-season trips. Flexible itineraries that don’t feel rushed.
Vancouver works especially well here. It delivers a high return on time, which is exactly what today’s traveller values.
This Isn’t a Temporary Trend
When you zoom out, the story becomes clear. Canadians aren’t travelling less. They’re travelling differently.
They’re choosing:
- Fewer U.S. trips
- More domestic exploration
- Destinations that combine nature, culture, and ease
The data confirms what conversations already suggest. Travel within Canada isn’t booming by accident. It’s responding to how people want to move through the world right now.
And for Ontarians looking west, that shift feels less like a trend and more like a natural evolution.
