CALGARY (CityNews) – As the summer travel season approaches, most Canadians will be hitting the road instead of hopping on a plane, making 2020 the summer of the regional road trip.
MRU professor of ecotourism and outdoor leadership Joe Pavelka says the main things people want right now is to see their friends and family.
“Right behind that is essentially all forms of outdoor, nature kinds of travel. So, going to visit a national park. Camping by RV or tent is also very high.
“We may have a return to that 1950’s and 60’s classic two-week family car vacation. In addition, an increase in domestic tourism may force destinations to mix up the usual tourist traps,” he said.
‘Does a Calgarian really want to buy another Mountie or moose from a souvenir shop in Banff? Probably not. About 70 per cent of all of our tourism is domestic. So, getting Canadians travelling within Canada is very important, it’s extremely important to the overall tourism industry.”
However, Canadians hitting the road are still nervous about the ongoing COVID-19 concerns.
“And I think that’s why a lot of the outdoor nature-oriented destinations will do very well because I think people feel much more comfortable, whether it’s warranted or not, saying ‘Well I’m going camping and it’s not going to be crowded.'”