MONTREAL — The number of Canadians looking to book their next vacation with a travel advisor is on the rise, says a new study by Transat Distribution Canada (TDC).

The cross-Canada study of 920 Canadians, commissioned by TDC and conducted by Ipsos in March 2024, found that 40% of Canadian travellers – and 45% of Quebec travellers – plan to book their next vacation with the help of a travel advisor. This represents a significant increase over 2023, when 31% of Canadian and 38% of Quebec customers used their services, says Marc Pelletier, Senior Director, Marketing, Communications and Events at TDC. 

“The three main reasons why they do so are almost all equivalent in terms of importance: being able to book everything from a single place, making travel arrangements less stressful, and finally, talking to a real person and having the opportunity to really verbalize their needs. In short, the human factor,” he adds.

Also notable is the fact that 90% of Canadian travellers say they are very or fairly likely to travel in 2024, which bodes well for travel advisors and TDC members. 

When it comes to the destination of choice among Canadians, the top three preferences are the United States (37%), their own province (35%) and within Canada but in a province other than their own (33%). The next most popular international destinations are Mexico and the Caribbean (29%), followed by Europe (27%).

In terms of accommodation, hotels are still by far the favourite choice for Canadians at 73%, followed by house or apartment rentals at 34%. 

Highlights of the survey were shared with TDC owners and managers of franchised and affiliated agencies this past April, as part of the company’s Leaders Forum. According to Karine Gagnon, General Manager of TDC, the data will help members structure their advertising offensives better, aligning them with the interests of their customers.

“Overall, the survey shows that travel professionals continue to occupy an enviable place with Canadians when it comes to planning and booking their next vacation, a very positive trend for all TDC network members, whether they work in our franchised or affiliated agencies, in one of our corporate agencies, or our agent@home program. Canadians know they are real experts, specially trained to meet their specific needs,” says Gagnon.