04 November 2009

Canadians continue to vacation -- cruises popular

Almost two thirds of Canadians say that despite tough times, they are still planning a vacation. And a growing number are looking at cruises, says a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted for Tripharbour.Ca.

"Canadians put a high value on getting away from work and enjoying quality time with their loved ones," said Stuart MacDonald, President and CEO of Tripharbour.ca. "But whileCanadians are not ready to jettison the family vacation, they are looking for travel deals that deliver more bang for the buck."

According to MacDonald, the rock-bottom pricing, incentives and all-inclusive deals being offered by the world's major cruise lines have hit a responsive chord with recession-weary Canadians.

As evidence, he points to the 2009 CLIA Cruise Market Overview which shows the number of Canadians taking cruises grew by 5.18 percent to 710,607 passengers in 2008 from 675,558 in 2007. And MacDonald says cruise sales at Tripharbour.ca in 2009 are running ahead of last year.

"With cruises to the Caribbean, South America and Europe selling for as low as $65 a day, we've seen a big increase in visitors to our site who are shopping for a deal on their family vacation," adds MacDonald.

According to the Ipsos Reid poll, almost two thirds of Canadians are planning to take a vacation within the next 12 months, while 77 percent will take one within the next two years.

By David Wilkening