Where To Next? Travel Inspiration For 2017

*Guest Post by Natalie Taylor*

We love a travel trend here at The Curious Creature and January is a good time to discuss top destinations of the year. Also, have you seen the weather outside?! It has kicked our wanderlust into full gear. So as we plan our 2017 jaunts around the globe, we decided to check in with our friends at KAYAK (the world’s leading travel search engine) to see what their top trending destinations are for Canadian travellers. “Canadians are seeking experiences both rich in culture and history in some of the world’s most interesting cities,” says David Solomito, Vice President for North America Marketing at KAYAK.

Here are the top ten destinations searched by Canadians on KAYAK from 2016:

1. Havana
2. Reykjavik
3. Rio de Janeiro
4. Casablanca
5. Auckland
6. Manila
7. Nashville
8. New Delhi
9. Guatemala
10. Bogota

Havana Is The Top Travel Destination Of The Year For Canadians

With a rich cultural history and affordable all-inclusive packages to Cuba that can easily get you to Havana, it’s no surprise that Canadians are going there in droves. In fact, KAYAK reports a 230% increase in searches compared to last year. With the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba slowly being restored, it’s no wonder we’re trying to hold on to those deals and perhaps our nostalgia for the Cuba that once was. Also: sun. Canadians love sun. And maybe rum. That too.

Canadians Are Willing To Travel Far for Rich Cultural Experiences

Solomito confirms, “long distance isn’t necessarily a variable when booking a trip (for Canadians).” The number 2-5 top search results for KAYAK? Reykjavik, Rio de Janeiro, Casablanca and Auckland. All four destinations and the accompanying countries have stunning natural scenery, which would seem to be a draw for Canadians who want to get away from their hectic schedules or get a digital detox and connect with local cultures. Reykjavik had a 116% increase in search results and Icelandair’s enticing stopover service could certainly be a draw. Besides, who doesn’t want to hang out in a blue lagoon?!

Our speculation is that Rio was up due to last year’s summer games, also proving Canadians will travel the distance for a major event. Auckland, New Zealand is an adventure junkie’s paradise, perhaps giving some insight into Canadian travel habits. Manila and New Dehli also saw a 44% and 39% increase in searches, respectively. Given the large populations of people hailing from these cities living in Canada, this could be due to family travel or for Canadians wanting the rich, cultural experiences that the Philippines and India provide.

But, It Doesn’t Mean Canadians Aren’t Travelling Within Canada…

According to KAYAK’s 2017 Travel Hacker Guide, Calgary gained 27% more searches in 2016. Not only is it a great gateway to some of the country’s best ski destinations, it’s also home to one of Canada’s most iconic events: the Calgary Stampede. We’re putting stunning outdoor destinations like Jasper, Banff, and Moraine Lake on our personal Canada bucket list this year in time for Canada’s 15oth. Canada’s National Parks are also giving away free park passes making it a great time to explore our nation’s great outdoors. KAYAK’s tip? Book your trip 2-3 months in advance and for the best rate on a hotel, book it for February!

Popular Destinations From Last Year Expected to Drop

Osaka and Istanbul had 41% and 31% decrease, respectively, in search results last year. Florida may also see fewer Canadian visitors. Kahului (in Maui, Hawaii), Brussels and Hong Kong were 3-5 when it came to decrease in search results. This could mean these destinations may have some pretty good discounts this year so keep an eye out! Travel hack: if Paris is too expensive, look into traveling to Brussels and take the train to the French capital. This gives you a chance to see two destinations instead of one and saves you some money!

More Honky-Tonk, Less Argentine Tango

In surprises, Buenos Aires was down 12% in searches last year (Santiago, Chile was also down 20%). Nashville had a 43% increase in search results which didn’t surprise us: it’s as much of a destination for food now as it is country music. Guatemala is up 36% while Panama City and Fort Lauderdale are down in searches, 18 and 14% respectively. Keep these places in mind if you’re looking for a deal on flights, hotels and packages.

Travel Tips

1. Use KAYAK to find “the one”: KAYAK searches hundreds of other travel sites at once to find you the information you need to make the right decision. Their Travel Hacker guide enables you to customize your search and is packed with data-driven insights on where to go, when to go and when to book. Their explore tool is also handy as you can enter how much you are willing to spend and it will pull up places you can go within your budget.

2. Book at the right time: For North American travelers, KAYAK recommends you book 2-3 months out for Central America, Europe and Asia travel and 1-2 months for the South Pacific.

3. Find the best deals: If you’re a signed-in user, you can access Flex Month when inputting dates for flight search, giving you a 30-day calendar view of available fares, which is super helpful. Flexibility on your dates will help you maximize your travel dollars. You can also set Price alerts to notify you of changes in your flight price via text or email. Oh, and you can try booking two one-way tickets via “Hacker Fare” which combines multiple one-way flights to get you the best price on airfare. Brill!

Thanks to KAYAK for these interesting insights and for sponsoring this post. The trending destinations for Canadians are based on Canadian searches (search dates were between Sept. 9, 2015 – Dec. 1, 2016, with travel dates from Jan. 1, 2016 – Dec. 31, 2016). The Travel Hacker Guide, which includes Calgary on its trending destinations, is based on North American searches.

Hope this post gave you guys some travel inspiration for 2017! Where do you want to go this year? Talk to us! What do you think about KAYAK’s trends?