TORONTO — Lockdown measures have not dimmed the desire of travellers to hit the open road, says Vision Travel.

After polling its clients about their travel intentions in the midst of COVID-19, the company found that an overwhelming 67% of respondents said they are already planning their next vacation. The majority (46%) imagine their next trip will take place in 2021, while 16% are making plans for 2020.

Travel within North America is high on the list, with 64% saying they’re planning a trip within Canada or to the U.S., followed by 47% who preferred Europe. Canadians’ love of sun-and-sand vacations also ranked high, with 44% choosing the Caribbean or Mexico.

Almost half of respondents (46%) anticipate staying in a resort post-lockdown. Self-drives, whether via family car or rental vehicle, also proved popular, with 41% choosing this travel style. Cruises and escorted tours were less popular, each garnering a 24% response.

“We are taking care to ensure our advisors, both staffers and our large cohort of independent advisors, have educational opportunities to learn more about short-haul travel, which may have been less of a focus in the past,” says Brian Robertson, president of Direct Travel/Canada West, whose leisure arm does business as Vision Travel.

The survey was completed in May and was sent to Direct Travel/Vision Travel leisure clients across North America.