Canadians taking a 'YOLO' attitude to Labour Day weekend travel, according to Kayak

Extensive reports of delays and lost luggage are not stopping Canadians from travelling, with new data from Kayak revealing the most popular and best places to go here and abroad over Labour Day weekend.

“Canadians are embracing the YOLO attitude and hopping on planes to celebrate the last long weekend of summer,” information from Kayak provided to Yahoo Canada reads.

In fact, Kayak data reveals searches for international flights over Labour Day weekend are up 104 per cent compared to last year.

Where are Canadians travelling for Labour Day?

Looking at the Kayak data, flight searches, hotel searches and car rental inquiries have all increased, even compared to pre-COVID 2019.

The top trending domestic flight destinations within Canada on Kayak are:

1. Calgary, Alta. (41 per cent increase since 2019)

2. Toronto, Ont. (21 per cent increase since 2019)

3. Montreal, Que. (7 per cent increase since 2019)

4. Halifax, N.S. (5 per cent increase since 2019)

The top trending international flight destinations for Canadians on Kayak are:

1. Istanbul, Turkey (39 per cent increase since 2019)

2. Lisbon, Portugal (34 per cent increase since 2019)

3. Rome, Italy (14 per cent increase since 2019)

4. Dublin, Ireland (9 per cent increase since 2019)

Additionally, searches by Canadians for hotels in Canada over Labour Day weekend are up 32 per cent from 2019 and 23 per cent since last year, and searches for car rentals for the same time period are up 58 per cent from 2019 and "holding steady" from last year.

For Labour Day weekend stays internationally, searches are up three per cent from 2019 and have increased by an impressive 239 per cent compared to last year. Looking at international car rentals, searches are up 72 per cent from 2019 and 181 per cent from Labour Day weekend last year.

Does it cost more to travel right now?

Not only do travellers have to contend with fears of travel interruptions, but the actual cost for Canadians to get in that rental car and to book that hotel has largely increased.

According to Kayak, the average price for a domestic hotel is about $260 a night, up 15 per cent from both 2019 and 2020. For international hotels, the price average is $271 per night, an increase of 11 per cent from 2019, but actually down four per cent compared to 2020.

For rental cars, the average cost domestically for in Canada is around $139 per day, up 102 per cent from 2019 and 33 per cent more expensive than rentals in 2020. Looking at international car rentals, the average price is about $88 a day, an increase of 67 per cent compared to 2019, up 18 per cent since last year.

Cheapest travel options for Labour Day

If the financial commitment of actually booking a vacation is a concern, Kayak is also highlighting the cheapest round trip journey travellers can take for Labour Day weekend.

The cheapest round trip domestic destinations to fly to for Labour Day weekend are:

1. Calgary, Alta. (average price $330)

2. Halifax, N.S. (average price $385)

3. Toronto, Ont. (average price $391)

4. Vancouver, B.C. (average price $419)

5. Montreal, Que. (average price $422)

The cheapest round trip international destinations to fly to for Labour Day weekend are:

1. New York, U.S.A. (average price $424)

2. Lisbon, Portugal (average price $930)

3. Paris, France (average price $971)

4. London, U.K. (average price $1,176)

5. Rome, Italy, (average price $1,527)