Cheapflights.ca Asks: "Are You Really Getting Away for Your Holiday"

TORONTO--(Marketwire - Jan 15, 2013) - Ever get a déjà vu feeling when on vacation? Maybe that's because you are stuck in a holiday rut. A study of 1,050 Canadians conducted by Cheapflights.ca, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, found that more than 80 per cent of us are repeat vacationers who are likely to return multiple times to the same destination.

"We set out to find out where Canadians go and why," said Melisse Hinkle, site editor for Cheapflights.ca. "We learned that, while travellers dream of trips to Australia, they find themselves in Florida, again and again. Another year means another trip to the same Disney Resort or the same beach condo. But the real questions are: 'why do people repeat their visits?' and 'what would make them change?'"

We looked at where people travel to, why they go to those places, and where they'd love to go. Take a look at what we found and how the travel habits of men and women differ:

Where they go:

Faced with long and harsh winters, it's no surprise Canadians seem to love the sun. The Caribbean was the top choice for repeated visits, with almost 13 per cent of votes across the board. In fact, it was the winner among men (12.2 per cent) as well as women (13 per cent). Likewise, Florida scored consistently second with 10.3 per cent of the overall vote and 10.4 per cent of men and 10.2 percent of women selecting it as their most likely repeat destination. That's where the agreement ends. The Maritimes, Western Europe and Mexico were the next three top choices for women. For men, Las Vegas and the Southwest U.S., Western Europe and Hawaii rounded out the top five.

Why they go:

Great weather and good prices, in that order, top the chart for reasons to return to a destination. Other leading reasons were convenience related with "just the best holiday I've ever found" and "easy to get to" ranked as most important factors. Tied for fifth were "peace of mind/no worries when I get there" and "safety". However, when you slice by gender, priorities change a bit. Price beats great weather for men and "my partner likes it" comes in at number six (versus number 10 for women). For women, safety jumps to number three in importance. Also of note: "the number of good-looking people" and "great bars and night life" were among the least important reasons for returning to a place.

What they do there:

Proving we all fall into routines, 44 per cent of Canadians surveyed reported they ate at the same restaurant on repeat visits, with 36 per cent visiting the same attractions, more than 32 per cent staying at the same hotel and almost 20 per cent eating the same meal over again. A full 24 per cent have gone back with one or more new groups of friends (and almost nine per cent with a different partner or spouse).

Why they would make a change:

Just as price is a top driver in the decision to make repeat visits, it can cause the end of a relationship with a destination. By far, cost was the top reason for Canadians to stop a specific vacation habit. For men, the next biggest reasons for abandoning a destination were "place has changed too much" and a "bad experience". Meanwhile, women ranked "nothing -- I intend to go there regularly" as their second choice and "new inspiration" as the third reason why they'd be most likely to switch up their vacation destination.

Where they'd love to go instead:

G'day, Australia (and New Zealand). That's the location the largest percentage (31 per cent) of those surveyed selected, overwhelmingly, as their top ideal destination. Eastern Europe was the second most popular choice overall, with seven per cent. However, other than the shared interest in a trip Down Under, men and women had some different ideas about their ideal destinations. Number two for men was the South Pacific while women are itching to get to Costa Rica. Eastern Europe was number three for both genders. Alaska and Belize/South Pacific, which were tied, rounded out the top five for women. Costa Rica and Alaska were the other top choices for men. Russia, Argentina and the Middle East earned the fewest votes.

As part of this study, Cheapflights turned to chartered psychologist Dr. Jane McCartney for added insight into travellers' vacation behaviour. According to Dr. McCartney, there is comfort in routine, which explains why so many of us get into a travel rut. However, she says, "Although it is widely accepted that a certain amount of structure and order is required for a healthy and productive life, having too much control can lead to boredom, tedium and being un-stimulated."

Dr. McCartney went on to advise: "'Daring' with the unknown, taking on different challenges outside of your comfort zone and breaking habits may well be a challenge that you may wish you had taken before. Think ambitiously, and then see what you can do to get to that destination, or at least get going towards it. After all, it is human nature to seek out new experiences."

Cheapflights' Hinkle added, "A recent Mercer study¹ found that, unlike any other population, Canadians would gladly accept more paid vacation time over a raise. So we know Canadians value getting away. Our hope is that this research inspires a little more adventure and ambition in 2013."

About momondo group
momondo group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 13 million visitors a month -- plus 6 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.ca) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands.

Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006. 

The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen, Boston and Toronto, with a consumer base across 16 core international markets but users all over the world.

¹ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/management/well-take-extra-vacation-time-please/article5734296/