Normally fairly footloose and fancy-free, Canadians are more likely to stay home this summer than travel overseas, according to a recently released report. A combination of lingering COVID-19 concerns, inflationary pressures, passport delays, and well-publicized problems at airports and airlines is fast curing many Canadians of the travel bug.
Over two-thirds of Canadians are avoiding international travel this summer
Toronto media outlet CTV News commissioned a poll of over 1,000 Canadians in late June and found that 61% of respondents at no interest in international travel this summer. This varies by region – from 58.3% of respondents living in Ontario compared to 70.4% living in the Atlantic region.
“Canadians aged 55 plus are most likely to say they have no interest in traveling internationally this summer (69%) compared to younger Canadians (18-34: 53%; 35-54: 58%). Those aged 18 to 34 are more than twice as likely to say they want to travel internationally but have no plans (22%) than those aged 55 plus (9%),” says the report.
The survey also canvassed concerns a fresh wave of COVID-19 this upcoming Northern Hemisphere fall could trigger another wave of restrictions, impacting travel and travel plans. Over half the respondents agreed this could be an issue. Memories remain fresh in Canada regarding problems extracting refunds from carriers during COVID-19 from canceled and disrupted flights and the difficulties (and resentment) that caused.
Air Canada’s new global reputation
Meanwhile, travel restrictions have been lifted in Canada and many other parts of the world, even if various variants of COVID-19 continue to infect millions daily. Arguably, it’s not fear of COVID-19 keeping so many Canadians close to home – it is the sheer logistical hassle and expense of international travel.
Flag carrier Air Canada has gained a global reputation for operational dysfunction and poor customer service this year. Given the level of competition out there for this prize, that is quite some achievement. Air Canada horror stories are becoming almost routine. Late last month, Air Canada President Michael Rousseau apologized to passengers and trimmed scheduled flights by 15% over the next couple of months, trying to bring some order to the airline.
Myriad issues in Canada are acting as a deterrent to travel
Meanwhile, Toronto’s Pearson Airport (YYZ) regularly ranks as the world’s number one airport for delays. There are reports of animals left in crates for almost 24 hours and passengers waiting for over two weeks for the airport to produce their checked-in baggage. Last Friday, a telco outage caused many of Pearson’s IT systems to crash, causing even more delays and cancelations at the overwhelmed airport.
If that’s not enough to put the average Canadian off traveling, the cost of international travel is rising, as is inflation. In April, airfares in North America rose by over 18%. Inflation is now running at almost 8% annually in Canada – the highest rate in nearly 40 years. It now costs a lot more to have your bags lost and flight canceled. While the research found that 12.3% of respondents are traveling internationally this summer and sticking to their plans, a further 8.9% have already canceled their travel plans or are contemplating doing so.
For those Canadians sticking with their international travel plans, passport wait times are also lengthening. The Canadian Government says 72% of applicants who apply for or renew their passport will get one within 40 days (almost six weeks!). The flipside is over one-quarter of applicants can expect to wait even longer for a fresh passport. No wonder Canadians aren’t rushing to return to international travel.