Best Western, CAA and TIAC Invigorated About Leisure Travel This Summer
The rebound of the economy and strengthening dollar are leading to more Canadians traveling this year, according to executives from Best Western International, the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), who convened last week to discuss the state of and outlook for leisure travel at the annual Leisure Travel Summit in Toronto.
All panelists at this year’s event, moderated by Chris Robinson of the Chris Robinson Travel Show, agreed that while travel deals will be available again this year, there are fewer to be had and travellers will need to plan and book early to save.
Advance bookings at Best Western hotels during Canada Day weekend are up more than 30 percent from last year, according to Dorothy Dowling, the hotel chain’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. She sees this jump as a sign that business is on the rebound and a return to normalcy is forthcoming.
“Canadians view their vacation as a right, and with consumer confidence returning due to an improved economy, demand for hotel rooms is back,” said Dowling. “Travellers will continue to see value offered by hotels and other travel providers to win business back after last year’s challenges. This summer, we’re offering travellers a free room night when they stay two separate times.”
Alison Hermansen, executive vice president association and club services for CAA, sees an increase in demand for travel in Canada as well as south to U.S. destinations, given the improved strength of the loonie compared to the greenback.
“With a strong Canadian dollar, we are seeing more travellers hit the road this spring. Many Canadians, however, are planning to take advantage of the strong dollar by traveling to the United States while fewer Americans are traveling to Canada for the same reason, which puts pressure on our local businesses to offer promotions to attract customers.”
One way the industry will entice travellers is through sustainable tourism.
“We, as a country, have always lived on a reputation of being clean, green and pristine,” said Chris Jones, vice president, public affairs for TIAC. “The future for Canada is ‘green’ travel and sustainable tourism.”
Traveller loyalty was also a hot topic as travel brands and associations are revamping loyalty programs in order to attract new travellers and keep current members happy.
“CAA is very focused on increasing loyalty among our members and we have learned that accomplishing that boils down to relevance,” said Hermansen. “We’re partnering with brands that matter to our members in a timely manner, whether that involves offering extra discounts at hotels and eateries during the busy travel season or select retailers during the holidays.”
Surcharges, such as checked baggage fees on certain airlines or high-speed Internet charges at hotels, were cited as pain points for travellers that impact travel decisions.
Dowling agreed that these incremental fees can quickly surmount, which impacts planned travel budgets.
“We realize that travellers are looking for value and want to pay what they're quoted when they book a room, which is why we include amenities that matter such as high-speed Internet access at all of our properties worldwide, in addition to pools, parking and breakfast at most.”
To hear more about these topics and others, a podcast of the discussion is available here.