The Ultimate European Dream Vacation

Toronto, ON - According to a new Ipsos-Reid survey conducted on behalf of Expedia.ca, of a list of four possible European dream vacation scenarios--Relaxing and seeing some of the sights; Immersed in historical culture; Thrill seeking; and Cosmopolitan--Relaxing and seeing some of the sights ("leisurely sightseeing, city bus tours, visiting local restaurants or taking in a popular show") and Immersed in historical culture ("trying local delicacies, visiting historical sites, national museums, and galleries or exploring little-known corners off the beaten-track") top the list as the most appealing at 40% each. One in ten (10%) find a Thrill seeking ("having your adrenaline pumping from trekking in high altitudes, skiing the slopes or riding white water adventures") European dream vacation most appealing and 4% say Cosmopolitan ("shopping at all the hot spots, eating at the trendiest restaurants and people watching with the hopes of spotting a celebrity").

When it comes to the which European region would be their ultimate European dream vacation destination, responses are more varied: "Western European countries such as Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands" (19%), "the United Kingdom or Ireland" (18%), "Italy" (15%), "Greece or the Greek Isles" (14%), "France" (10%), "Spain or Portugal" (8%), "Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden" (7%), and "Central and Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland" (4%).

So, whom would Canadians want to share their ultimate European dream vacation with? The answer is clear--most (79%) would like to go with their family. In comparison, 14% would like to go with friends and 6% would prefer to go alone. Now when it comes to which of a list of celebrities they'd like to take their ultimate European dream vacation with, the responses vary: Angelina Jolie (16%), Tom Cruise (12%), Brad Pitt (9%), Jennifer Aniston (9%), Pierce Brosnan (8%), Catherine Zeta Jones (7%), Roy Dupuis (4%), and Caroline Neron (3%).

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/Expedia.ca poll conducted from March 8th to March 10th, 2005. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1002 adult Canadian was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1773.1 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 regions and for other 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.

The Ultimate European Dream Vacation Scenario

When given a list of four possible European dream vacation scenarios--Relaxing and seeing some of the sights; Immersed in historical culture; Thrill seeking; and Cosmopolitan--and asked which is most appealing, Relaxing and seeing some of the sights ("leisurely sightseeing, city bus tours, visiting local restaurants or taking in a popular show") and Immersed in historical culture ("trying local delicacies, visiting historical sites, national museums, and galleries or exploring little-known corners off the beaten-track") top the list at 40% each. One in ten (10%) find a Thrill seeking ("having your adrenaline pumping from trekking in high altitudes, skiing the slopes or riding white water adventures") European dream vacation most appealing and 4% say Cosmopolitan ("shopping at all the hot spots, eating at the trendiest restaurants and people watching with the hopes of spotting a celebrity"). Another 5% say "none of the above" and 1% is unsure.

• Residents of Atlantic Canada (53%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (50%) are most likely to say Relaxing and seeing some of the sights is most appealing, followed by residents of Ontario (40%), Quebec (40%), British Columbia (33%), and Alberta (32%).

• Residents of British Columbia (49%) and Alberta (47%) are most likely to say Immersed in historical culture is most appealing, followed by residents of Ontario (40%), Quebec (37%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (32%) and Atlantic Canada (28%).

• The propensity to think a Thrill seeking European dream vacation is most appealing decreases with age: 22% of Canadians 18-34 years of age think it's most appealing, 8% of those 35-54 years of age think so, and 2% of Canadians 55 or older think so.

• Women are slightly more likely than men to say Relaxing and seeing some of the sights is most appealing (43% vs. 37%), while men are more likely than women to think Thrill seeking is most appealing (14% vs. 6%).

• University graduates are more likely than others to say Immersed in historical culture is most appealing (52% vs. 34%).

The Ultimate European Dream Vacation Destination

When it comes to the which European region would be their ultimate European dream vacation destination, responses are more varied: "Western European countries such as Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands" (19%), "the United Kingdom or Ireland" (18%), "Italy" (15%), "Greece or the Greek Isles" (14%), "France" (10%), "Spain or Portugal" (8%), "Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden" (7%), and "Central and Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland" (4%). Another 4% say "none of the above" and 1% is unsure.

• Canadians living outside of Quebec are more likely than Quebecers to say "the United Kingdom or Ireland" (22% vs. 6%), while Quebecers are more likely than others to say "France" (18% vs. 7%).

• Men are slightly more likely than women Quebecers to say "the United Kingdom or Ireland" (22% vs. 15%).

So, Whom Would Canadians Want To Share Their Ultimate European Dream Vacation With?

The answer is clear--most (79%) would like to go with their immediate family (spouse, partner, children, and/or parents). In comparison, 14% would like to go with their best friend or closest friends and 6% would prefer to go alone. Another 1% doesn't know.

• Residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (24%) are most likely to prefer to go with friends, followed by residents of British Columbia (19%), Atlantic Canada (14%), Quebec (13%), Ontario (13%), and Alberta (10%).

• Canadians 35-54 years of age (84%) are most likely to say they'd like to go with their family, followed by those 55 years of age or older (78%), and those 18-34 years of age (75%).

• Canadians 18-34 years of age are more likely than others to prefer to go with friends (18% vs. 12% of those 35-54 years of age and 13% of those 55 or older).

And, What About Celebrities?

Now when it comes to which of a list of celebrities they'd like to take their ultimate European dream vacation with, the responses vary: Angelina Jolie (16%), Tom Cruise (12%), Brad Pitt (9%), Jennifer Aniston (9%), Pierce Brosnan (8%), Catherine Zeta Jones (7%), Roy Dupuis (4%), and Caroline Neron (3%). Three in ten (29%) say "none of the above" and 2% don't know which celebrity they'd like to take their ultimate European dream vacation with.

• The propensity to pick Angelina Jolie decreases with age: 25% of Canadians 18-34 years of age pick Angelina Jolie, 17% of those 35-54 years of age pick her, and 4% of Canadians 55 or older pick her.

• The propensity to say "none of the above" increases with age: 18% of Canadians 18-34 years of age say so, 25% of those 35-54 years of age say so, and 45% of Canadians 55 or say so.

• Women are more likely than men to pick Pierce Brosnan (12% vs. 4%), Brad Pitt (16% vs. 2%), Tom Cruise (19% vs. 5%), and Roy Dupuis (5% vs. 3%). Men are more likely than women to pick Catherine Zeta Jones (14% vs. 1%), Jennifer Aniston (12% vs. 5%), and Angelina Jolie (26% vs. 6%).

Please open the attached PDF to view the factum and detailed tables.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:

Jennifer McLeod
Senior Research Manager
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900