Majority of Canadians say there's "something for everyone" in Canada, so why go anywhere else?

Toronto, ON - Canadians agree, there's no place like home, according to a new Historica Canada poll conducted by Ipsos in celebration of Canada Day. While most Canadians have been able to explore other countries, a majority (68%) still `agrees' (23% strongly/45% somewhat) that `Canada has something for everyone, so why go anywhere else'. Moreover, a similar proportion (69%) `agrees' (19% strongly/50% somewhat) that they `vacation in Canada because they want to learn more' about their country.

Meanwhile, one third (33%) of respondents have a contrary view. Those respondents agree with the assertion (9% strongly/24% somewhat) that `Canada is a great place to live but not that interesting for a holiday' and that they'd `rather go elsewhere'. At the same time, 29% say (9% strongly/20% somewhat) they're drawn to other countries because they `have friends and family who live around the world' and that they `often spend vacation visiting people outside of Canada'.

From a price standpoint, a majority (60%) `disagrees' (24% strongly/36% somewhat) that they `find it's cheaper to go outside of Canada for vacation than to travel within our borders' (although 40% agree that it's cheaper to travel elsewhere).

Ontario, Quebec most common destinations - Canadians have lots of their country left to explore

Thinking about their own travel plans this summer, most travel will be in Ontario (32%) and Quebec (24%) - where most of the Canadian population lives - while other Canadians will travel in BC (12%), Alberta (11%), Nova Scotia (4%), New Brunswick (4%), Manitoba (3%), Saskatchewan (3%), PEI (2%), Newfoundland and Labrador (1%), the Yukon (1%), the NWT (0% rounded down) or Nunavut (0%). Two in ten (19%) say they don't have any Canadian travel plans.

Thinking about where Canadians have lived and travelled, most Canadians have either lived in or travelled to Ontario (76%) and Quebec (63%), while fully one half (50%) of Canadians have lived or travelled to British Columbia. Fewer than half of Canadians have lived or travelled in any of the remaining Canadian provinces and territories, suggesting that most Canadians still have lots of Canada left to explore. The chart below shows the proportion of Canadians who have lived in or visited each province/territory, and the proportion of Canadians who have never been to that province/territory.

Many Prefer to Stay in Canada, But Warm Weather Calls them to the U.S.

If currency exchange were not a factor, many Canadians (43%) would prefer to vacation in Canada over the U.S. no matter what, while just 26% say they prefer to vacation in the United States if exchange were not a factor. However, one in three (31%) Canadians say that their preference depends on the season, saying they prefer summers in Canada and winters in the United States.

Perhaps not surprisingly, older Canadians aged 55+ are most likely to factor in seasonality into their decision (36%), more so than those aged 35-54 (32%) or 18-34 (24%). Interestingly, millennials (38%) are more likely than Gen X (21%) or Boomers (22%) to say they prefer to travel in the U.S. if exchange rates weren't a factor.

Focusing on those who prefer to stay in Canada, more Canadians prefer to leave their province (31%) rather than travel within their home province's borders (12%). Quebecers however buck the trend: more prefer to stay within Quebec (25%) than to travel within Canada to other provinces (20%).

Four in Ten (39%) Say they Travel Less Frequently to the U.S. due to Safety Concerns

Another factor that appears to be impacting travel preferences is safety, as four in ten Canadians (39%) `agree' (13% strongly/26% somewhat) that they `travel to the U.S. less often than they used to specifically because they don't feel safe there anymore'. Conversely, six in ten (61%) `disagree' (26% strongly/35% somewhat) that they travel to the U.S. less frequently as a direct result of safety concerns.

British Columbia tops Canadians' list of dream vacation destinations

Thinking about the province or territory they would most like to visit on their dream Canadian vacation, one quarter (25%) of Canadians said that B.C. is where they'd most like to visit, placing it firmly ahead of any other province of territory. Next on the list is Quebec (10%), followed by Ontario (9%), Newfoundland and Labrador (8%), Prince Edward Island (6%), Nova Scotia (5%), Alberta (5%), New Brunswick (3%), the Yukon (3%), Northwest Territories (2%), Nunavut (1%), Manitoba (1%) or Saskatchewan (1%). BC was most popular among residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (31%).

But nearly one quarter (22%) of Canadians couldn't decide which one they'd most like to visit, and instead said that a "road trip across Canada from coast to coast" is their dream Canadian vacation. This appeals most to BC residents (30%), followed by those living in Alberta (26%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (22%), Ontario (20%), Quebec (19%) and Atlantic Canada (19%).

Average Canadian Has Lived In or Visited 5 Other Countries

Despite being very far away from most countries except the United States, the average Canadian has lived in or visited 5 other countries. While 15% of Canadians say they've never left Canada, 20% have been to 1 other country, 39% have been to 2-5 other countries, 9% have been to 6-9 countries, and 17% are certified globe-trotters, having been to at least 10 other countries.

• Residents of Alberta are most likely (22%) to say they've never left Canada, followed by those living in Atlantic Canada (19%), Quebec (18%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (14%), Ontario (12%) and British Columbia (8%).
• Residents of BC are the most well-traveled, having visited or lived in the most countries on average (6), followed by those living in Ontario (5.5), Quebec (4.8), Atlantic Canada (4), Alberta (3.8) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (3.4).
• Heavy travelers, those who have visited 10 or more countries, are most likely to be found in BC (23%) and Ontario (20%), followed by Quebec (17%), Atlantic Canada (15%), Alberta (8%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (6%).

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between June 17 and 22, 2016, on behalf of Historica Canada. For this survey, a sample of 1,008 Canadians from Ipsos' online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/ - 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Anthony Wilson-Smith
President and CEO
Historica Canada
(416) 506-1867

Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos

Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry. With a strong presence in 87 countries, Ipsos employs more than 16,000 people and has the ability to conduct research programs in more than 100 countries. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is controlled and managed by research professionals. They have built a solid Group around a multi-specialist positioning-- Media and advertising research; Marketing research; Client and employee relationship management; Opinion & social research; Mobile, Online, Offline data collection and delivery. Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999. www.ipsos.com