European Cities Charming Canadian Travellers

Global Hotels.com report reveals travel habits of Canadians at home and abroad

TORONTO, Jan. 29, 2015 /CNW/ - American cities New York and Las Vegas may have remained the top two international destinations for Canadian travellers in 2014, but Orlando wasn't so lucky. The city, known for its expansive theme parks, dropped two spots in last year and was replaced by commonwealth country and UK capital, London. This movement towards European destinations is a trend evident in the latest Hotels.com™ Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™).

"European cities have always had a strong appeal among Canadians who appreciate how easy it is to travel between countries," says Taylor L. Cole, APR, travel expert for Hotels.com. "We're seeing that interest continuing to increase as travellers seek out destinations rich in history and culture."

The biggest increases among the top 20 most popular international cities for Canadians were all outside of North America. European cities, Paris and Barcelona climbed six and four places, respectively. Japan's bustling capital, Tokyo, also experienced a strong boost in popularity up five spots in 2014. 

Most Popular International Cities for Canadian Travellers

City		Country	2014 vs. 2013 Rank
1.	New York City	United States	No change
2.	Las Vegas	United States	No change
3.	London	United Kingdom	+2
4.	Paris	France	+6
5.	Orlando	United States	-2
6.	Chicago	United States	+1
7.	Seattle	United States	-3
8.	Los Angeles	United States	+1
9.	San Francisco	United States	-1
10.	Boston	United States	-4
11.	Rome	Italy	+2
12.	San Diego	United States	-1
13.	Newark	United States	-1
14.	Miami	United States	No change
15.	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	+1
16.	Barcelona	Spain	+4
17.	Portland	United States	+2
18.	Washington	United States	No change
19.	Tokyo	Japan	+5 (New to List)
20.	Anaheim	United States	+2 (New to List)

Within Canada the top three most visited cities by Canadians remained the same, although changes were seen further down the list. Cities in Alberta made a splash with Edmonton moving up one spot to fourth and Calgary climbing two and entering the list as a top five newcomer.  

Most Popular Domestic Cities for Canadian Travellers

City		Province	2014 vs. 2013 Rank
1.	Toronto	Ontario	No change
2.	Montreal	Quebec	No change
3.	Vancouver	British Columbia	No change
4.	Edmonton	Alberta	+1
5.	Calgary	Alberta	+2
6.	Niagara Falls	Ontario	-2
7.	Ottawa	Ontario	-1
8.	Quebec	Quebec	No change
9.	Victoria	British Columbia	No change
10.	Winnipeg	Manitoba	+1
11.	Banff	Alberta	-1
12.	Saskatoon	Saskatchewan	No change
13.	London	Ontario	+2
14.	Whistler	British Columbia	+1
15.	Halifax	Nova Scotia	-1
16.	Kelowna	British Columbia	No change
17.	Regina	Saskatchewan	No change
18.	Canmore	Alberta	No change
19.	Kamloops	British Columbia	+1
20.	Kingston	Ontario	-1

Follow @hotelsdotcomca with #TravelExperts for more information from the HPI report.

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
Hotels.com, L.P. operates Hotels.com (also known in Canada as Hotels.ca), a leading online accommodation booking website with over 365,000 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.

© 2015 Hotels.com, LP. Hotels.com, The Obvious Choice, Hotel Price Index, HPI 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

SOURCE Hotels.com

Image with caption: "Canadians continue to fall in love with Paris, as the city became the fourth most visited international destination in 2014 (CNW Group/Hotels.com)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150129_C5028_PHOTO_EN_11606.jpg

Lauren Wasley, energiPR for Hotels.com, Phone: [phone] x 19, Email: [email protected], @energiPR; Taylor L. Cole, APR, Hotels.com North America, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected], @TravelwithTLC