Take Off Eh? - Canadians Ponder Vacation Dreams

Toronto, Ontario - According to a new Ipsos-Reid survey conducted on behalf of RBC Avion Card, Canadians very often think about taking a dream destination trip. In fact, one in ten (9%) say they think about taking their ultimate dream trip every day, and a full 51% think about it at least once every couple of months or more.

So what type of trip would Canadians most like to take? When asked to choose from a list of possible dream destinations, 27% chose "sightseeing in Europe", 16% chose "a Caribbean cruise", 16% chose "lie on a beach somewhere warm", 14% chose "an adventure holiday in South America or Africa", 11% chose "a seaside villa in Europe", 7% chose "a golf holiday in Hawaii", and 4% chose "restaurants and the theatre in a major world capital".

And respondents offer some light-hearted and interesting responses when asked what is the most unusual thing they have ever purchased using a credit card while on vacation or travelling, including among many others: "a can of Alligator stew in Florida", "a walking stick from India", and "a Japanese Samurai sword".

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/RBC Avion Card poll conducted from May 16th to May 19th, 2005. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 2003 adult Canadians were interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the national results are considered accurate to within 1772.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.

One In Ten Canadians (9%) Think About Taking An Ultimate Dream Trip Every Day -- Half (51%) Think About It At Least Once Every Couple Of Months Or More Often...

When Canadians are asked how often they think about taking a trip to their ultimate dream destination, one in ten (9%) answer "every day" and 51% say at least once every couple of months or more often. Broken down into the specific answer choices we see that:

• 9% answer "every day";
• 13% answer "at least once a week";
• 16% answer "at least once a month";
• 12% answer "at least every couple of months";
• 24% answer "once a year or so or every month";
• 16% answer "rarely"; and
• 9% answer "never".

Demographics:

• Younger Canadians think about taking a trip to their ultimate dream destination most often. Four in ten (37%) Canadians 18 to 34 think about their dream destination at least once a week - compared to 19% of those 35 to 54 and 12% of those 55+.
• Across Canada, Albertans think about taking a trip to their ultimate dream destination most often - 30% say they think about it at least once a week - compared to 22% of Ontarians, 23% of Quebecers and 13% of those in Atlantic Canada.

So, What Type Of Holiday Would They Most Prefer If Given The Choice?

Respondents were asked to consider from a list of possible vacation choices and decide which option they would choose if they were a member of points program and were given enough points from the program to do whichever one they wished. From the list of choices:

• 27% would choose "sightseeing in Europe";
• 16% would choose "a Caribbean cruise";
• 16% would choose "lie on a beach somewhere warm";
• 14% would choose "an adventure holiday in South America or Africa";
• 11% would choose "a seaside villa in Europe";
• 7% would choose "a golf holiday in Hawaii"; and
• 4% would choose "restaurants and the theatre in a major world capital".

Five percent of respondents "don't know" which of these choices they would choose.

• Residents of Quebec (32%) are the most likely of Canadians to say they want to go sightseeing in Europe, followed by resident of Ontario (26%), and Saskatchewan/Manitoba and British Columbia (both at 25%).
• Older Canadians (aged 55+) are more likely to choose a European vacation than younger Canadians age 18-54 (31% vs. 25%).
• Residents of Atlantic Canada (26%) are the most likely to choose a Caribbean cruise, followed by residents of Alberta (18%), and British Columbia and Quebec (both at 16%).
• Younger Canadians aged 18-34 are significantly more likely than those aged 35 and over to choose an adventure holiday in South America or Africa (21% vs. 11%).

And, When It Comes To Unusual Vacation Purchases Made With A Credit Card Canadians Show A Quirky Side...

As part of the survey, respondents were asked a light-in-nature question as to what is the most unusual thing they have ever purchased using a credit card while on vacation or travelling.

Some of the more interesting and humorous purchases offered were:

• "A can of Alligator stew in Florida" - unmarried woman, aged 49, Manitoba
• "A walking stick from India" -- married man, aged 30 in Ontario
• "Freshly packed salmon fillets from the BC coast" - married man, aged 43, Ontario
• "I rented a Harley" - married man, aged 81, Manitoba
• "The complete set of Charles Dickens" - unmarried woman, aged 21, New Brunswick
• "A Japanese Samurai sword" - unmarried man, age 57, British Columbia
• "A wooden doll in Russia" - married woman, age 49, Alberta
• "A shrunken head in Ecuador" - unmarried man, age 22, British Columbia

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sandra Guiry
Associate Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid
416.324.2900
[email protected]

Ipsos-Reid
Ipsos-Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country's leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos-Reid employs more than 300 researcher professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos-Reid's Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada--including the Ipsos Trend Report, the leading source of public opinion in the country--all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos-Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

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