Oh, Canada 

As many travellers set their sights on staying closer to home, the Canadian market holds tremendous potential for the recovery of the tourism industry. Travel agents can take advantage of this untapped opportunity by focusing on a hyper-local approach to selling and promoting travel.

With domestic travel set to pave the way for the recovery of the travel and tourism industry in Canada, the travel trade can play an important role in promoting hyper-local and regional travel.

“There are over 23,000 travel advisors in Canada. This vast network is a valuable resource for Canadians who have the desire to travel but likely need help navigating the new landscape,” Sébastien Dubois, Executive Director, Industry Partnerships at Destination Canada, tells Travel Courier.

“It’s important to remember one of the most powerful influencers on travel decisions is recommendations from friends and family. With an unprecedented number of Canadians travelling domestically, there will be a greater volume of travellers sharing their travel highlights and booking recommendations,” Dubois explained.

And Dubois continued: “Conversation and engagement that is generated at a hyper-local level will help build pride amongst Canadians. This kind of advocacy has the potential for long-term impact and will change how Canadians see and value their own country for holiday and business travel in the future.”

Dubois points out that historically, Canadians spend over $33.1 billion annually on trips within their own provinces, which has the potential to increase as many travellers are seeking to explore their own backyards. Of that, Canadians spent $13.5 billion on same day trips, which is referred to as hyper-local travel within a one to two hour drive and is already taking place across most regions in Canada.

For the full story, don’t miss this week’s issue of TRAVEL COURIER.