It’s been well established that Canadians love and value travel in their lives, from a historic European getaway to soaking up the sun in the Caribbean. As Canadians look to book their 2025 vacations, Skyscanner has revealed that most popular destinations travellers are already eyeing. The locations aren’t just cheap for Canadians, but also destinations with the best value.
“In 2025, we’re seeing Canadian travellers looking to embark on more communal and immersive adventures, from cheering on their favourite teams at major sporting events to exploring art installations or bonding with fellow gamers on themed vacations,” a statement from Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner travel expert reads. “This shift highlights a growing desire for shared, meaningful moments that create lasting connections and foster a sense of belonging within a global community.”
Search for your next vacation on Skyscanner
Through OnePoll x Skyscanner research conducted in July with 20,000 respondents globally (including 2,000 Canadians), the company found that these are the trending destinations for 2025 travel, based on year-over-year increase in searches by Canadians:
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Grand Turk Island, Turks and Caicos, +713% search increase
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Cusco, Peru: +163% search increase
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Krabi, Thailand: +158% search increase
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Madeira, Portugal: +153% search increase
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Okinawa, Japan: +145% search increase
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Tromsø, Norway: +127% search increase
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Marrakesh, Morocco: +123% search increase
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Florence, Italy: +115% search increase
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San Antonio, U.S.: +99% search increase
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Colorado Springs, U.S.: +94% search increase
A consistent and significant consideration for travellers is the cost, and not just trying to get the best deal, but ensuring that travellers are getting the best value possible for their spend.
Skyscanner’s research found that 71 per cent of the respondents factor in the cost of flights when booking a vacation, with 64 per cent considering in cost of hotels, and 37 per cent evaluating the price of food and beverages in a destination.
The top value destinations for Canadian travellers in 2025 are:
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Florence, Italy: -29% price drop
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Faro, Portugal: -28% price drop
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Bogota, Colombia: -28% price drop
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Madeira, Portugal: -28% price drop
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Quito, Ecuador: -27% price drop
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Reykjavik, Iceland: -21% price drop
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Paris, France: -20% price drop
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Rome, Italy: -19% price drop
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Oslo, Norway: -18% price drop
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Barcelona, Spain: -17% price drop
How are travellers deciding their next vacation destination?
When it comes to the different areas of inspiration for Canadians booking their next vacation, sports, art and even video games are drawing travellers to certain destinations.
While 21 per cent of Canadian travellers plan their vacation with the intention of attending a sporting event, 53 per cent indicated that “culture” is the most important reason for choosing a travel destination.
As we saw extensive travel for the total solar eclipse earlier this year, that’s set to be a longer term trend into 2025, with 56 per cent of Canadians hoping to see the northern lights during their travel, and 33 per cent are planning vacations around a lunar or solar eclipse.
While we’ve normalized the concept of “needing a vacation from your vacation,” prioritizing rest and health during travel is of more interest for travellers. But there is a generational divide, with this being more important for travellers in the 24-34-year-old age bracket, versus those 65 and older.
It’s been a trend for a few years that people are inspired by their favourite TV shows and movies for travel, but that’s very much the case for video game lovers as well. Skyscanner found that 34 per cent of Canadian travellers take inspiration for their favourite video games when booking a vacation.
If you were inspired to buy a pair of cowboy boots recently, you’re one step into the “Cowboy Core” travel trend, from tourists wanting to visit to a local farm in a new destination, or just dining around a camp fire.
Additionally, something Canadian travellers have of their list during a vacation is a visit to a garden space, with Skyscanner revealing that 71 per cent of respondents to their survey adding garden visits to their vacation plan.
Skyscanner’s Saved Feature: Save those deals to look at later
Skyscanner has a number of features to make sure you save as much as possible on your vacation.
Take advantage of the “Saved” feature. Start by browsing all the travel deals and when you see something you like, you can save it for later.
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Step 1: Find your flights and hotel
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Step 2: Select the heart icon next to your top picks to save them for later. Make sure you’re logged into your Skyscanner account!
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Pro tip: Download the Skyscanner app to create separate Saved lists for all the different trips you’re planning.
Tips for finding the cheapest flights
If flight costs are getting you down, there are a few things Canadian travellers can do to ensure they’re getting the best deal possible for their next vacation, both on the Skyscanner platform specifically and when looking for flights more generally.
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Beat the crowds: For flights that are filling up fast, you’ll want to make sure you’re looking at the monthly view on travel search sites like Skyscanner to see the best possible option available for flight dates.
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Set up alerts: Prices are always changing, so if you’re hoping to travel to a specific destination, or on specific dates, set up a price alert so you can be quick if a deal comes up. Skyscanner specifically has a price alerts system for any cost changes.
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Consider “Everywhere”: If you’re hoping for a new adventure, or a little rest and relaxation, but you don’t have a specific destination in mind, the “Everywhere” search on Skyscanner may be your new best friend to discover the most affordable vacation destination possible.
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Flexible dates: There may be certain times where you need to travel for specific dates, but the best deals are really revealed when you open yourself up to some flexibility. Even changing your travel dates by a day, or a week, can result in significant savings.