Canadians Take Time-out for Vacation

The vast majority of Canadians agree that taking a vacation every year is important to them. With summer just around the corner, this month we survey Canadians to see exactly who is getting away, and why.

The results of our eNation survey conducted in March 2013 show that 70% of Canadians will try to take a vacation every year. Comparatively, this number is significantly lower in America where only 62% agree with Canadians. In Canada, those living in households earning over $60,000, or married, are the most likely to plan a get-away; 83% and 77% respectively.

Overall, Canadians see vacations as a necessity to recharge their mind and body. However, not everyone gets the opportunity to go on a vacation, with more than one in five Canadians saying that it is a luxury and they rarely take one. This number goes up among lower income households, those with children, or not married.

In terms of a budgeting priority - as in America - the vacation tops most lists when considered against other options. Canadians overwhelmingly say taking a vacation this year is the most preferred activity they want in their budget. Dinner out every two weeks, and spending extra on hobbies are also considered important to at least 30% of respondents, but are a far second comparatively. That said, budgeting priorities for these differ by gender: women prefer vacations and updated wardrobes more than men, while men want to spend extra on hobbies, dinners out or new cars every five years much more than women.

Thankfully, most Canadians say they have had good luck with their vacations. Almost nine out of ten say their vacations have mostly worked out and never felt it had been ruined. Younger Canadians (ages 18-34) seem to be the only group to have experienced something go wrong on their trip.

Methodology

The Ipsos Canada eNation online omnibus survey launches every business day. Each survey (wave of eNation) consists of a minimum of 1,000 completes with adults 18 years of age or older in Canada. The sample consists of individuals selected from the online segment of Ipsos' iSay/Ampario Panel, and is balanced to be representative of the general population based upon region, gender, age, and education data from Statistics Canada. The selected individuals receive a customized e-mail inviting them to participate.

Ipsos Canada eNation online omnibus survey results are tabulated by two standard demographic banners.

A. Gender, Age Education
B. Region, Income, Household Composition

eNation's standard data tabulations are provided in a weighted format. The data are weighted to give appropriate representation on various demographic factors, including: age, education, region, and gender. The 2011 Census figures available from Statistics Canada are used to determine the weighting targets for each demographic factor.