Canadian Travellers: Should You Stay or Should You Go?

Examining the new world dilemma of travelling abroad for your favourite holiday

TORONTO, Oct. 7, 2014 /CNW/ - Whether it's dancing to steel drums and bongos in a feathered headpiece or pounding back your favourite lager with a side of sausage, we've all got a favourite holiday. Many cultural holidays that Canadians like to participate in originated in other countries, but celebrating overseas can be pricey. The experts at Hotels.com™ want to help Canadian travellers get the most bang for their buck, so they're breaking down the most popular holidays based on costs and activities to determine whether it's worth making the trek abroad.

"Celebrating milestones or festivals abroad can be such an exciting and unique experience," said Taylor L. Cole, APR, travel expert at Hotels.com. "Many of the largest Canadian festivals have sister events in other countries so we've outlined the costs to help you budget your travel or staycation dollars."

• Halloween (NYC - Village Halloween Parade): October 31, 2014. Average hotel price: $267*.
• Local Alternative: Canada's capital, Ottawa, where a visit to the Bytown Museum, considered one of the most haunted places in Canada, is a must. The museum offers haunted walks throughout the Halloween season. Brave travellers can spend the night in the Ottawa Jail Hostel, another haunted attraction, which previously housed many past criminals, including those on death row. Average hotel price in Ottawa: $149*.
• New Years Eve (Sydney, Australia): December 31, 2014. Average hotel price: $191*.
• Local Alternative: Niagara Falls: Bigger isn't always better, but in this case it just might be. It might not be first celebration in the world, but Canada's biggest New Year's Eve (NYE) party is family friendly and takes place around the impressive falls. The most popular NYE broadcast in the country; it includes a massive fireworks celebration and musical performances from Demi Lovato and Serena Ryder, to entertain the crowds until the final midnight countdown. Average hotel price in Niagara: $145*.
• Oktoberfest (Munich, Germany): September 19 - October 4, 2015. Average hotel price: $189*.
• Local Alternative: Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest has been held in Southwestern Ontario for more than 40 years and has grown from a small gathering to become the largest Bavarian festival in North America. Taking place over nine days through the fall, guests can enjoy beer, sausage and many German-inspired festivities. Average hotel price in Kitchener: $122*.
• World Pride (Madrid, Spain): Summer 2017. Average hotel price: $144*.
• Local Alternative: Pride Toronto. Taking place from June 19-28, 2015, the annual Canadian celebration is one of the biggest in the world, attracting more than 1.2 million attendees from Toronto and beyond and includes multiple parades and marches in support of various LGBTQ groups.  Average hotel price in Toronto: $152*.
• St Patrick's Day (Dublin, Ireland): March 17, 2015. Average hotel price: $159*.
• Local Alternative: Montreal is home to the longest-standing parade in Canada, having started in 1824 and here the festivities last more than one day! Ste. Catherine Street gets taken over with more than 600,000 participants taking in the live entertainment, traditional breakfasts, pubs and parade. Average hotel price $168*.
• Carnival (Trinidad & Tobago): February 16-17, 2015. Average hotel price: $210*.
• Local Alternative: Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto (formerly Caribana). Taking place in July through August 2015, it's a three week celebration of all things Caribbean including cuisine, music, visual and performing arts. With more than 40 years of history in the city, it has become a popular international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. Average hotel price in Toronto: $152*.

So for all you Canadians who didn't realize how much there was to do on home turf, and how much less expensive it is to enjoy these festivities at home, you can start planning your trip now. Since many celebrations involve a drink or two, you may want to start looking for places to sleep, so check out the Hotels.com mobile app where you can use the GPS feature to find properties close to your favourite events.

*Average hotel prices according to the latest Hotels.com™ Hotel Price Index^TM (HPI™)

About the HPI™
The HPI is a biannual report that looks at hotel prices in cities all around the world. The data is based on bookings made through the Hotels.com website and the prices listed are the actual prices paid by Canadians - not advertised rates.

About Hotels.com (http://www.hotels.com)

Hotels.com, L.P. (also known in Canada as Hotels.ca) operates Hotels.com, a leading online accommodation booking website with nearly 325,000 properties around the world, ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favourites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals.

© 2014 Hotels.com, LP. Hotels.com, Hotel Price Index, HPI, The Obvious Choice, and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. CST # 2083949-50

Image with caption: "Kitchener-Waterloo is giving Munich a run for its money with its own elaborate Oktoberfest celebrations (CNW Group/Hotels.com)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20141007_C7257_PHOTO_EN_42965.jpg

SOURCE: Hotels.com

For further information:

Press contacts: 

Lauren Wasley
energi PR for Hotels.com
Phone: [phone] ext. 19
Email: [e-mail]
Twitter: @energiPR

Taylor L. Cole, APR 
Hotels.com North America
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Twitter: @TravelwithTLC