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Canadians base travel choices on food more than Americans do: survey

Survey suggests Canadians have big appetites for culinary adventure
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(Skitterphoto)

Canadians are more likely than Americans to fly for food, a new survey suggests.

They are 38 per cent more likely than their southern counterparts to book a trip based on culinary offerings, according to data released by travel website Kayak and reservation website OpenTable on Tuesday.

A lengthy drive was also no obstacle for Canadians, with 71 per cent of survey respondents claiming they would travel an hour or more to eat at a restaurant on their wish list.

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Exactly one third also noted they have taken a day trip just to try a new restaurant.

Twenty-eight per cent were willing to go even further and research restaurants in another country before booking flights for a trip, and 10 per cent will book a restaurant reservation before making any airfare or accommodation payment.

Regardless of when they made their reservation, 74 per cent of Canadians said that when travelling, they prefer authentic local dining to something familiar, such as a chain restaurant.

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For the survey, OpenTable used diner reviews collected from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019, based on Kayak’s list of the top 50 most popular destinations for travel between July 1, 2019 through Dec. 31, 2019.

The goal is to create a guide that helps food-focused travellers find the best recommendations, a news release said.

The survey, commissioned through the London-based market research company YouGov, was carried out online between Aug. 6 and 13. The sample size was 1,056 Canadian adults and the figures have been weighted.



karissa.gall@blackpress.ca

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