Staycations Without Borders: How Canadians Are Travelling Further at Home

The idea of a staycation in Canada has changed dramatically. What once meant staying close to home or taking a short drive nearby now includes travelling across provinces, regions, and even coast-to-coast. In 2026, Canadians are redefining “local travel” to mean any trip within national borders, even if it involves flights, trains, or multi-day road trips. This shift reflects a broader mindset: travellers want the ease of staying in Canada while still craving variety and discovery.

Recent travel insights show that Canadians are increasingly exploring new provinces rather than revisiting familiar destinations, making domestic travel more adventurous and intentional.

Interprovincial Travel Is Driving Growth

One of the clearest signs of this shift is the rise in interprovincial travel spending and activity.

• Domestic tourism spending in Canada grew 6.9% year-over-year in summer 2025 
• Spending between provinces increased faster than travel within the same province
• Canadians took 90.6 million domestic trips in Q2 2025, a 10.9% increase year-over-year

This data shows that travellers are not just taking more trips—they’re going further within Canada.

Instead of staying close to home, many are planning:

• Ontario to Québec cultural trips
• Alberta to British Columbia mountain routes
• Cross-country itineraries combining multiple regions

Why Canadians Are Travelling Further Domestically

1. Decline in U.S. Travel
A major driver behind this trend is fewer Canadians travelling to the United States.

• 67% of Canadians plan to travel within Canada in 2026, up from 49% the previous year
• 68% of travellers avoiding the U.S. are choosing Canadian destinations instead

This shift is pushing travellers to look beyond their own province and explore the country more fully.

2. Desire for “New but Familiar” Experiences
Travelling across Canada offers a balance:

• No passports or currency exchange
• Familiar language and systems
• Completely different landscapes and cultures

From Atlantic coastal towns to Prairie road trips and Northern adventures, interprovincial travel delivers variety without complexity.

3. Longer, More Intentional Trips
Canadians are also taking fewer but longer trips, often combining multiple stops.

• Domestic travel spending is rising alongside longer stays and higher trip budgets
• Trips are increasingly built around routes and experiences, not single destinations

This has led to:

• Scenic driving itineraries
• Rail journeys across provinces
• Multi-city exploration trips

Experience-Led Travel Is Shaping Routes

As travellers go further, they are planning trips around experiences rather than geography.

In 2026, popular interprovincial travel themes include:

• Culinary trails across regions
• National park hopping
• Cultural and festival-based itineraries
• Wellness and nature retreats

Travel trends show Canadians are prioritising personal enrichment, wellness, and meaningful experiences when choosing destinations.

What This Means for Canadian Tourism

This shift is reshaping the tourism landscape nationwide:

• Smaller regions and rural destinations are benefiting
• Transportation networks (rail, regional flights, road travel) are seeing renewed demand
• Provinces are increasingly marketing to other Canadians—not just international visitors

Domestic travel is now a primary driver of the industry, with spending continuing to rise even as international travel fluctuates.

The Bottom Line

Staycations in Canada are no longer about staying close—they’re about staying within the country while exploring it more deeply than ever before.

As travellers expand their definition of “local,” interprovincial trips are becoming:

• More common
• More immersive
• More essential to how Canadians travel in 2026

The result: a new era of staycation where the entire country becomes the destination.