What's Happening in Cuba? Plus, Where Canadians Are Headed

Cuba has been in the travel news a lot lately as a number of airlines, tour operators and hotels have ceased operations, so on this week's show travel expert Onanta Forbes will join me to discuss what's going on in Cuba. Then we'll chat with the VP of DCI, Development Counsellors International as they've recently released their fourth edition of the Capturing the Canadian Consumer study. So we'll dive into the numbers to see where Canadians are going and why.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Well, hello and welcome to the Informed Traveler Podcast, a weekly travel podcast where our goal is to help you become a more informed traveler. And I'm your host, Randy Sharman. Cuba has been in the travel news a lot lately, as a number of airlines, tour operators, and hotels have ceased operations. So in a few seconds, travel expert Onanda Forbes will join me to discuss what's going on in Cuba. And then we'll chat with the Vice President of DCI, Development Counselors International, as they've recently released their fourth edition of the Capturing the Canadian Consumer Study. So we'll dive into the numbers to see where Canadians are going and why.

What's Happening in Cuba?

SPEAKER_00 0:45

But first, let's kick things off chatting with travel expert Onanda Forbes, who joins us each week to discuss the latest travel news trends and travel tips in general. You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and X at Onanta Forbes. OnantaForbes.com is her website. Hello, Onanta. How are you? I'm well, thank you. Uh Cuba been in the uh travel news uh for quite a while now. Uh it seems like there's a different story uh every week with companies not flying there anymore, um abandoning their leases, and the list gets longer and longer every day. So, what have you heard from uh your colleagues and uh those in the travel agent world?

SPEAKER_03 1:26

So, right now the biggest headline is that major Canadian airlines and vacation companies have suspended operations to Cuba indefinitely. Air Canada, Air Canada Vacations, Air Transit, WestJet Vacations, and Sunwing Vacations Groups have all announced cancellations or suspensions of flights and vacation packages to the island. And the primary reason behind these decisions is Cuba's ongoing aviation fuel shortage, and that's created operational challenges for airlines trying to maintain reliable service. So added to that is the continuing economic difficulties, their infrastructure issues, and then increasing international sanctions that are impacting the country's ability to provide consistent tourism services. So one thing worth noting is that this is not necessarily the end of Cuba as a destination for Canadians. Cuba remains one of Canada's most popular sun destinations, and it has decades of strong tourism partnerships dedicated to the Canadian market. But industry observers view the current situation as an operational crisis rather than a permanent closure of the of tourism to the island. So, you know, since I've been in the industry, it it's been long enjoyed for the beautiful white sand beaches, the the lovely um people that live there, the history, but it it does come with um you know lots of other things that you may not consider Cuba as your first choice for a sun destination.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Have you been?

SPEAKER_03 3:10

I have been twice.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

Okay, what did you think? I've never been. I've and I've known people that have gone, um, and seems to me like the it's inconsistent. Like sometimes you go there and you'll get hot water and and there'll be coffee available or beer, and sometimes it's not available. So uh it's inconsistency, quite not quite sure what you're gonna get when you get there. Is that true?

SPEAKER_03 3:36

Right. So when I went, I went a f quite a few years ago, and um at that point the main concern was the food quality. Um, the the hotels were like four and five stars that we stayed at, beautiful uh resorts and facilities, but then the food has never been um uh you know something that you would think that was of a higher quality or a foodie level. Um, and then you know, in the later years with with the rolling um electric blackouts and um various inconsistencies, as you say, I would always you know caution our travelers to just you know not have high expectations in a sense that if you're traveling with kids, bring snacks with them because they what they're looking for to eat might not be available. So, like peanut butter or different kinds of uh food that your kids may be a little bit more picky about, we would tell them to bring. Um, and and then just like you know in the last year, it was like you have to be very aware of all the situations that could happen um at destination, and is it really a return for your vacation dollar?

SPEAKER_00 4:52

Mm-hmm. Um yeah, I I think one person described it for me that a five-star resort in Cuba is like a three-star resort anywhere else.

SPEAKER_03 5:02

Yes, yeah. And but uh yes, absolutely, you do have to uh proceed with caution. But I, you know, I do have to say visiting Cuba was still uh an opportunity to see, you know, the history of um Cuba. It was it, you know, it's had um its fair share of turbulence um with different leaders, different um occupations, but it you know, what you see, like if you went into a place like Havana, you see those all those old American cars that are kind of fun to see. You know, Ernest Hemingway has a cafe there. So the history there is beautiful, the um culture, the um history of it with regards to um you know, just what they've gone through, and just even as a sun destination, the the white sandy beaches, the the clear blue water, it you know, great for uh water activities. And um, so it it did it does really have a history of being a popular destination for Canadians in the past. Um, but you know, currently if you have a uh Cuba booking, you airlines and vacation providers are actively contacting effective travelers regarding refunds, credit, or alternate uh vacation options. So if you haven't heard from your travel advisor, airliner tour offerer, now would be a good time to reach out and discuss your options. I would um yeah, saying all that, um Cuban tourism officials are emphasizing that the country remains open to international visitors, and um that they're saying that they intend to honor existing reservations wherever possible and continuing to welcome in tourists. But of course, you know, that's the cure the Cuban Tourist Authority, and they want people to come because they need the economy boost, right? But uh think think think big picture for you as a traveler, you're going away on vacation um to enjoy and to relax. You don't need the stresses of if you can come home or what you you can expect when you're at destinations. And it's also important to understand the realities currently facing travelers on the ground. So the Canadian um government continues to advise travelers to exercise high degree of caution, and many travel experts are recommending postponing non-essential travel at this time. Um, you're going to encounter, or you may encounter, shortages of fuel, electricity, water, food products, um, medication, um, and other basic assesses, and power outages have become more frequent in some areas, and so that affects um the transportation services due to fuel availability. Um, another important consideration is banking and payment services. There have been disruptions affecting foreign transactions, including limitations on visa and MasterCard usage in certain situations. So, travelers who still plan to visit Cuba should still carry sufficient cash and verify current payment options before departure. I'm speaking to Canadian travelers. So, for our American listeners, it's worth noting that the rules um remain different. So, while US citizens can legally travel to Cuba under specific authorized categories such as educational activities, family visits, religious programs, or humanitarian projects, pure tourism remains prohibited under US regulations. So keep that in mind as well.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Well, it's funny you're talking about uh those considering going to Cuba. I think your dis your decision is made up if Sunwing, WestJet, Air Canada, and Transat have all suspended operations, not sure how you're going to get there. And then let's talk about the resorts too, because you've got our Barostar, Blue Diamond, Melia, and there's probably some that I that I've forgotten to mention that they're pulling out. And the interesting thing about Cuba is they don't own the hotel properties themselves, they just lease it, and so it's it's easy for them, well easier to walk away uh if they than it would be if they owned those properties outright.

SPEAKER_03 9:32

Right. And you know, it's um it I've never in my care travel career seen that many pull-outs of uh destination, and it was just one right after the other when it it all started to unroll into um you know into the travel news. So yes, it it is uh yeah, like you say, your decision is made. If the airlines aren't going, if there's no hoteliers that will manage it for you, you know, you may want to consider um alternative destinations. And we have lots. You know, there's Mexico, there's the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Costa Rica, other Caribbean options that currently offer more stable flight schedules and tourism infrastructure. And always the best advice is to work closely with the trusted travel advisor, and they can and will monitor developments, you know, review cancellation policies and help you navigate alternative vacation plans if necessary. And um the situation remains fluid, and we can continue to expect additional updates from airlines and tour operators as well as the Cuban authorities in the covet in the in the coming week. So it's um I think the best thing if you have future plans, stay informed, remain flexible, because that's the best approach right now. Um and I would I and I would definitely look at you don't want this stress when you're going on holidays. You just want to know you're going to be. Yes, absolutely. Um, and it's certainly significant, so that's why you know professional travel planning matters. You know, having somebody to advocate for you is is important.

SPEAKER_00 11:18

True. And you know, I obviously there's politics involved in this, and we're not gonna uh go down that route, but that is uh the reasoning behind many of the uh, especially the hotel operators uh pulling out uh uh you know the political decisions uh going on in the US and things like that that that we don't need to dive into. It's not our realm anyway. Uh so yeah, there's there's lots of that going on, and who and it remains to be seen what happens. But it's it's interesting that uh that Cuban officials uh talk about the resiliency of uh of tourism, and that's that conundrum again. Not that you can go to Cuba, but if you could, would you? Because, you know, it's that's uh you know, you're sitting on a beach enjoying a cocktail, and there's people there that are having trouble just putting uh you know food on the table, right?

SPEAKER_03 12:08

Absolutely, yes. So that's a a very valid point. Like there's a human factor and uh um that you have to consider, you know, what are you taking away from the people who actually live there?

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Exactly. Interesting things to follow. We'll uh keep an eye on uh the going ons in Cuba. It is a beautiful place, though, not that I've been, but I've heard, you know, like you said, the beaches, the people are wonderful, and the history and culture is amazing, but uh we'll we'll keep our eye on it. So Onanda Forbes is a travel expert. You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and ex at Onanda Forbes. And onandaforbes.com is her website. Uh always good to chat, Onanda. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 12:48

Thank you. Take care.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

This is the Informed Traveler Podcast. I'm Randy Sharman. Just want to remind you of our website, the informedtraveler.org. That's where you'll find our contact page if you have any questions or comments about the podcast. You can also email me too with any questions you might have. My email address is randy at theinformtraveler.org. You can check out our social media pages too at facebook.com slash informed traveler, Instagram at informed traveler, or on X at Informed Traveler. That's where you'll find the number of videos and photos from our recent visit to Fort Lauderdale and other interviews and stories throughout the year. Plus, you can sign up for a monthly newsletter. It's released at the beginning of every month. Our June issue is available, so just go to our website, theinformtraveler.org, click on the newsletter button, it'll take you right there. Or you can subscribe to it and have it arrive in your inbox each month.

Where Canadians Are Headed

SPEAKER_00 13:50

So, where are Canadians looking to travel in the next few months and what are they looking for in their travel experiences? To answer those questions, the folks from DCI Development Counselors International recently released their fourth edition of the Capturing the Canadian Consumer Study. So, to help us make sense of the numbers, we are joined now by Tanya Kaniki, and she is the vice president of DCI. About DCI.com is the website. Hi, Tanya.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Hi, Randy. I'm excited to be here. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

Well, thank you for doing this. Before we uh get into the numbers of Capturing the Canadian Consumer Study, uh, just give us a short, brief description of what DCI is and what you do.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

Oh, yes, perfect. So um DCI, we are a specialist marketing firm. Basically, our clients are places or destinations. And so we support these destinations through three different ways, um, through tourism. So helping bring inspired travelers to come visit that destination, um, uplift the communities within those destinations that way. We also work in economic development, so stimulating business opportunities within those destinations and talent attraction, essentially convincing people to move to that destination for work. And so those are three different ways. I really at DCI specialize in tourism. And so I work with destinations um across North America and internationally to just basically understand what motivates Canadian travelers, even American travelers, um, to uh select their destinations for travel. And so um essentially I've been doing this at DCI for about 10 years, but DCI has been around since 1960.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

Wow.

unknown 15:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

Very nice. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

So uh you're the person that can dive into these numbers with expertise uh capturing the Canadian consumer study, a study that DCI did. Uh, who did you talk to with the study? How many people and who was part of this?

SPEAKER_01 15:53

Yeah, it's a great question to ask. So I would love to preface it by saying this is actually our fourth edition of Capturing Canadian the Canadian Consumer. So we have conducted the study every three years since 2017. And so this year's study, we surveyed more than 1,500 Canadian travelers from across the country. Um, and this also includes a dedicated sample of even 500 affluent travelers to really just, you know, understand how Canadians are thinking about international travel and and really where they're planning to go next. So about 1,500 uh Canadians in total.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

Nice. So um I think we kind of know where Canadians aren't going, at least some of them. Uh, where what did you find uh that they were going, where they were thinking of going and and why? And was did anything kind of stand out for you?

SPEAKER_01 16:43

I know that's a a pretty loaded question, but well, uh it's a good question to ask because there are like you said before, that the kind of trends that we were looking at really just are uh indicative of what Canadians are thinking nowadays versus when we started the study back in 2017. So I actually have about five big takeaways for you and your audience that I'd love to share today. Um, and you know what? Full disclosure, I love travel as much as I love studying travel. So this really was a fun report to dig into, and I promise to make the data feel human. Um, but you know, one thing I do want to note before we jump in is that the study does focus specifically on outbound international travel. So it doesn't actually look at domestic travel. So within Canada, and I know, like myself, Canadians absolutely love exploring their own backyard, and we are seeing plenty, you know, of an enthusiasm for domestic travel as well. But what we looked at and what we'll talk about today is really about how Canadians are approaching travel outside and how those behaviors have actually shifted. And, you know, honestly, when we looked at the data, what struck me the most wasn't that Canadians are traveling less, they're not. Canadians remain incredibly passionate travelers. What's changing is where they're going now and what they're looking for, but also how they're making those decisions. So some of the data surprised me, despite my own expertise in travel marketing. So I'd love to dig into that. And the first big takeaway, Randy, is what you kind of alluded to, um, is that there is a decline in interest in US travel. That is very real. Back in 2023, we were uh learned from our Canadian sample then that about 40% were considering a trip to the United States within the next 18 months. And today, that is down to just 21%, so almost half a decrease since 2023. Now, we fielded this research during the period of heightened tension between Canada and the US. There were tariff discussions, political rhetoric, broader conversations around that relationship between our two countries. And what's fascinating is that we're seeing that impact show up not just in sentiment, but in the actual traveler behavior as well. So border crossings are down, air travelers is down, and airlines are adjusting their capacity accordingly. We're hearing it on the news a lot, right? With Air Canada, for example. But one thing that's really important to note is that Canadians haven't actually stopped traveling despite those numbers for the US. Canadians love traveling. What we're seeing is they're redirected uh to where they're going. So three years ago, you know, a lot of Canadians may have defaulted to a Florida beach vacation or, you know, a city break in New York or golf tripping in Arizona. Today they're looking around and saying, what else is out there? And so what we're seeing is Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean really benefit from that. So the Caribbean leads all future travel consideration at 37%. And what's next is Western Europe at 31%. And Mexico has actually climbed a tie with uh consideration, just like uh in um partnership with the US at 21%. And honestly, as a traveler myself, like I said, I get it. You think about being able to spend two weeks, you know, wandering through Italy, sitting in a piazza in Rome, you know, maybe you're exploring the coastlines of Portugal, eating your way through Spain, world-class museums that you have in Paris or in Amsterdam. So Canadians are actually willing to travel further now for those kinds of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. So this is particularly true amongst affluent travelers as well. And as I said, it's the Caribbean. They're the ones who are performing incredibly well. Let's be honest, as Canadians, you know this, Randy, after a long winter, who is not dreaming about sunshine, turquoise water, you know, escaping the cold for a couple of weeks. Yeah. I mean, this is the harshest winter that I can that I have in memory, you know. Um, so what's interesting though, even though you know you think a flying flop when it comes to Canadians in our harsh winters, is that Canadians are not just looking for a beach chair anymore. They're looking for really cultural experiences alongside relaxation. So I think that Mexico is another interesting story since it is tied with the US in future consideration. You know, Canadians are recognizing that Mexico has rich culture. There's an incredible culinary scene there. You've got Maya culture, historic cities. There's a strong value proposition, essentially. So it's become more than just a winter sun destination. So there's that consideration there.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

I find that interesting that uh I would I would think the numbers would be higher for Mexico. To me, like, and I'm only speaking personally, that's like you know, when I think of warm place, I think of Mexico. And I love the Caribbean, I've been through many Caribbean islands, but it but Mexico is always that that first thought when it comes to warm. I I I would expect those numbers to be uh a little bit higher, but I guess not.

SPEAKER_01 21:44

I think that also has to do with the fact that capacity airlift has really grown in in the Caribbean market, and so we're seeing a lot of uh Caribbean destinations recognize the fact that there is such an opportunity, with you know, travel considerations being a little Little more down in the US and trying to really activate on that. And so incredible amounts of marketing going into Canada now from the Caribbean. You know, we're seeing a lot with uh Barbados, we're seeing uh Jamaica, and even some of those smaller or lesser known kind of destinations like Anguilla, for example, who are really putting themselves out there. And so, yeah, the Canadians are hearing it and the consideration is now becoming stronger for Caribbean travel. And I think Mexico, you know, has a lot to offer there. But as I said, it's not so much about their beach, it's really about that cultural immersion. And so that segment of Canadian travelers are what is you know being activated on.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

And maybe it's they're looking for something different too. Like if you're thinking you've been to Mexico so many times, why not try something different, like the Caribbean? And if it's easier to get there, uh why not, right?

SPEAKER_01 22:57

Exactly. And well, the third big trend is actually that Canadians are traveling further. So they're traveling further, they're staying longer, and they're spending more. And you know, truthfully, what kind of surprised me about that is how resilient travel spending is, because you and I know this as Canadians. We are hearing so much about inflation and affordability concerns. It's happening to all of us. I feel that squeeze. The concerns are real, but Canadians really are continuing to prioritize travel.

SPEAKER_00 23:25

So I will eat hot dogs for a week if I can go to the Caribbean for two weeks. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 23:30

Exactly. Buying everything on sale, you know. Um, the Canadian traveler is spending about $4,600 on an international trip. And I mentioned that affluent traveler segment earlier. They are spending more than $7,000 per trip. So it's becoming one of those life experiences that people are just not willing to give up despite everything we're seeing with inflation. And as I said, we're seeing longer stays. So the average long haul trip is lasting actually more than two weeks now, which is why I'm saying that, you know, Western Europe is really seeing a lot more pull there. So to me, this just really suggests again that travel is just one of those experiences Canadians want. And I think that people may be making different spending decisions throughout the day of the year, like you said, with the hot dogs. But when it comes to travel, they're really willing to invest in experiences that they genuinely value. But what's one thing to point out is not all Canadians do travel the same, right? So a provincial insight is that BC, so um British Columbia travelers, actually recorded the highest average trip spend in the country, and they showed particular strong interest in Western Europe. So a lot more in Western Canada are visiting um Europe. Ontario, meanwhile, um, continues to be Canada's largest outbound travel market. To me, that's no surprise. We have the largest population here in Ontario, and we also have a lot more direct flights. But you know, I would love to bring this one up about the fourth finding. It's it's my favorite one. Um I did say before Canadians are increasingly, you know, prioritizing experiences over relaxation. Don't get me wrong, we all love sitting on a beach with a drink in hand. But in the study, when we ask travelers, you know, what does motivate them when it when it comes to making these travel decisions on where you want to go, it's creating memories and having new experiences that really came out on top. So rest and relaxation, which was incredibly important during and immediately after the pandemic in the previous studies that we saw, it's now declined significantly as a primary um um motivator. So what Canadians are increasably increasingly looking for are stories. So they want to know what it's like to take um that cooking class in Italy or or wandering through the historic neighborhoods in Europe or experiencing that local culture in Mexico. We want to really explore, we want to taste, we want to hike, we want to just discover. So travel is becoming less about that escape of life and more about um the enrichment that life offers. And then you know, so and and relaxing by doing things. Yeah, yeah. And I mean, for destinations, when they're thinking about Canadians uh coming in, it's an important shift to recognize because it does mean just simply showing beautiful scenery isn't enough anymore. That's not what makes it feel relaxing for us Canadians. We want to know what is that experience, that enrichment that I I can't really get here, that I can get there. Um, so that's that's um a big consideration that I saw, which was my favorite of them all, because to me personally, as a traveler, that is what I look for. I I love the idea of of sitting on a beach and and getting some rest. And when that happened after that happens, I'm like, okay, what can I explore? Who can I meet? Yes, exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 26:53

It's yeah, me too. I think it's the experiences, the people you meet, um, and all those things. And yes, you can do the relaxing, like I said, afterwards in the evenings. Exactly. So, like all these numbers and all this uh data and stuff, who uses it destinations? Did they say, okay, we're we realize uh what people are looking for, we're going to adjust, and and uh people themselves, do they say, Oh, people are going to the Caribbean, maybe I should go somewhere else because it's gonna be crowded? Like, like who uses this information the best?

SPEAKER_01 27:24

That's a great question. Um, that leads me to another finding. Actually, it's the final one. Five. Yes, I've given you four. So the fifth one is one that I think the entire travel industry is paying really close attention to. It's the way that Canadians discover that travel inspiration. It's really changing. Word of mouth remains the most influential source. So you are going to be inspired, Randy, by what your friends have told you, what your family's telling you, what they're posting about, um, you know, when you're having a barbecue with them, that life experience they had last summer, what they're planning on. That's still incredibly powerful when it comes to inspiring your travel decision. And general internet search does remain important as well. The internet is here. But what stood out this year, and I think is actually probably my favorite stat from the study, not my favorite theme, but my favorite stat was the rise of social media and that emergence of AI as being that travel planning tool. Three years ago, so the last study we did, AI was not even part of the conversation. We didn't even look at it, right? Today, nearly one in 10 Canadians say they're already using AI tools for travel inspiration. So I know people who are literally asking Chat GBT, I'm not uh giving away myself, but plan me a two-week itinerary through Portugal. They're asking chat that, or maybe what's a destination that's similar to Italy, but less crowded. We're watching that travel planning really evolve in real time. And so for the first time, AI-powered search tools appear as a measurable source of travel inspiration. And so destinations are really activating on that. I mean, well, that number is still relatively small. It's at 9% right now in 2026. But remember, as I said, the category did not exist in our previous study. And I think many of the listeners uh can probably relate to this. I know people who, again, are asking these AI tools, um, helping to plan these different types of vacations. They want custom itineraries being built for them. And the tourism industry spent years learning how to show up on Google. So I think that the next challenge for us as an industry may be learning how to show up in AI-generated recommendations. So that is basically where we're seeing that shift happening.

SPEAKER_00 29:43

You've just raised the ire of many travel agents by saying AI. People are looking at AI to plan their true their trips.

SPEAKER_01 29:50

But yeah, it's it's difficult from what we what we know and what we uh practice right now is the fact that AI is pulling um content out of uh websites, out of stories, out of earned media, essentially. And so it is so incredibly important to continue looking at what you know, travel writers have shared on their own experiences and content creators and bloggers, because AI is not making this up, it's pulling those who've had these uh experiences who are credited uh voices in the industry. Um, so travel agents who share this content online, this is all being pulled from them and helps to revert back to uh that agent. And if, you know, I can be remiss not to say this, but you absolutely should never just use at this stage, you know, in 2026, just AI as a travel source. It doesn't always get its information correct.

SPEAKER_00 30:49

It's a good starting point, I think. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

Yeah. For some recommendations, but absolutely working with the people who, you know, who are uh stakeholders in this industry, those travel agents, those tour operators, um, reading stories from media across, you know, um the Globe and Mail, Trump Star, listening to podcasts like this one. Um and podcasting has gone up incredibly as in travel um in the travel industry. And so that's becoming a growing place. People, you know, uh want to almost um just kind of like while they're cooking, just sit back and listen to some travel inspiration. And so it is really smart to gather your travel inspiration this way as well.

SPEAKER_00 31:34

I would be curious to know, uh, and there's probably isn't any numbers on this, but just curious uh any follow-up numbers, like people who say they are interested in going somewhere actually follow through with a booking. You know what I mean? It's one thing to say, yeah, I'm thinking about going to the Caribbean, but did they actually do it? And I'm pretty I'm pretty sure there's probably not any follow-up numbers, but I'd be curious to know like how many people actually do follow through with that.

SPEAKER_01 31:57

That is a great question. This is well, this study is very much about travel inspiration on where Canadians are thinking of booking to really try to understand the behaviors that's shaping, but we do actually get those results um through various different accredited agencies and boards that share, you know, especially with Canadian outbound travel, um, we do have access to what those numbers look like over time. And so, you know, the destinations that I work with get access to that information year over year. And so we basically understand how did this happen? How can we continue to see an upward trend or even a downward trend? Who, what types of travelers are they? We can really dig into the segmentation of what these travelers are to better understand the behaviors of what's happened, to figure out what's ahead. And so this study is super important, you know. I mean, if I had to summarize the study in one sentence, it would really just be um, you know, Canadian travelers haven't fallen out of love with travel. It's the fact that they are now traveling farther, they're spending more and seeking meaningful experiences, going beyond destinations that they may have defaulted to in the past. So for destinations around the world, particularly those outside the US, this does represent that significant opportunity. And for travelers like you and I, it means we're we're entering an exciting period where we're becoming more adventurous, we're more intentional about where we're going and how we're spending our money. And basically, we're more open to discovering parts of the world that we haven't seen in years. We're curious, you know?

SPEAKER_00 33:30

It's it's good to be curious.

SPEAKER_01 33:32

Yes. Um, it's really cool information. I think that if anyone has, you know, any questions further from the five, you know, big trends I shared today. I'm always happy to chat through it. But I just want to share that Canada, Canadians are a market that loves to travel. Don't ignore us. We are we are people who are curious about the world.

SPEAKER_00 33:55

We are Tanya Kadikian is the vice president at DCI, Development Counselors International. About DCI is their web or about DCI.com is their website. Uh it was great chatting with you, Tanya. Thanks for breaking down all those numbers. Amazing.

SPEAKER_01 34:11

Thank you. I hope I hope I I helped uh in doing that. I try to make the the data a little more human, but I, you know, absolutely appreciate you taking the time to chat with me today. And um, I look forward to talking through the next study in a few years, and you and I can kind of chat through what the the trends ended up being and and where we're going next.

SPEAKER_00 34:37

And that is our show for this week. If you have comments or questions, we'd love to hear from you. If you have a show idea, send that along as well. My email is randy at theinformtraveler.org. And if you like what you heard, tell a friend. You can check out our website too at the informed traveler.org. In the meantime, thanks for listening. Travel safe and be an informed traveler.