Falling for Canada: Where Canadians are exploring this fall
Key Takeaways
- Domestic escapes remain strong—Canadians are favouring quick getaways to mountain towns, coastal retreats, and cultural hubs like Banff, Tofino, Québec City, Halifax, and St. John’s.
- International travel is resurging—Paris, Tokyo, Lisbon, Dublin, Puerto Vallarta, and Rome stand out as top trending destinations abroad, appealing across multiple generations.
- Generational differences shape travel—Gen Z and Millennials lean toward short domestic stays and global city-hopping, while Gen X and Boomers stay longer abroad, favouring cultural capitals and coastal retreats.
Key Takeaways
- Domestic escapes remain strong—Canadians are favouring quick getaways to mountain towns, coastal retreats, and cultural hubs like Banff, Tofino, Québec City, Halifax, and St. John’s.
- International travel is resurging—Paris, Tokyo, Lisbon, Dublin, Puerto Vallarta, and Rome stand out as top trending destinations abroad, appealing across multiple generations.
- Generational differences shape travel—Gen Z and Millennials lean toward short domestic stays and global city-hopping, while Gen X and Boomers stay longer abroad, favouring cultural capitals and coastal retreats.
As the leaves turn and cooler weather sets in, Canadians are embracing fall getaways close to home. With domestic travel on the rise in the first half of 2025, Canadians are taking advantage of long weekends and shorter breaks within Canada, while still keeping international adventures on their horizon.
Canadians continue to explore at home
From mountain towns to coastal escapes, Canadian destinations1 are seeing strong interest this fall. Some of the top trending spots across the country include:
- Banff, AB
- Tofino, BC
- Victoria, BC
- Halifax, NS
- Kelowna, BC
- St. John’s, NL
- Calgary, AB
- Quebec City, QC
- Kawartha Lakes, ON
These destinations reflect Canadians’ continued appetite for nature, culture and coastal experiences closer to home. For hosts, this trend underlines the importance of being weekend-ready with flexible check-in and amenities that suit shorter stays.
International travel is back on the agenda
Canadians are continuing to prioritize trips abroad this fall, with top international destinations2 including Europe, and Mexico, highlighting how Canadians are balancing local escapes with international adventures that offer culture, cuisine and connection:
- Paris, France
- Tokyo, Japan
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Dublin, Ireland
- Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Rome, Italy
Older travellers, in particular, are booking longer international stays—highlighting opportunities for hosts to emphasize comfort, convenience and cultural depth in their listings.
Generational travel patterns
New Airbnb data also shows clear differences in how Canadians of different generations are travelling this fall:
- Gen Z and Millennials3 are opting for shorter domestic getaways (around 4 nights) while seeking international experiences in cultural capitals like Tokyo, Paris and Osaka—making adventure- and experience-driven messaging a strong draw.
- Gen X4 travellers are splitting their time between Canadian coastal cities like Halifax and Victoria and European destinations such as Dublin, Lisbon and London, with an average international stay of nearly 5 nights.
- Boomers5 are taking the longest international trips, averaging over 5 nights, and favour destinations like Paris, Puerto Vallarta and Galway, alongside Canadian favourites such as St. John’s and Québec City—underscoring the need for listings that spotlight comfort and accessibility.