Hoping to book an affordable Canadian vacation this summer? Sorry and good luck

Whether you're camping under the stars, jumping off the dock at a lakeside cottage, strolling the coast or exploring a new city, there's arguably nothing better than a summer vacation in Canada.

Assuming, of course, you can afford it.

From accommodations to flights, Canadians may be noticing higher prices on domestic travel this season. And that's in part because of increased demand, say industry experts who note more Canadians are opting for summer trips at home instead of travelling to the U.S.

"Canadians are increasingly travelling within Canada," said Frédéric Dimanche, a professor in the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University.

And given that the industry is still recovering from losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with inflation, the increased cost of operations, and now, increased demand, this translates into higher prices for consumers — especially in urban centres, Dimanche told CBC News.

"Airlines do this all the time. Hoteliers do this all the time. If there is increased demand, prices are likely to go up." 

For some would-be travellers, the cost is prohibitive or simply too high to justify.

Natasha Beitman Brener, a 33-year-old lawyer in Kingston, Ont., says she was hoping to take a five-day road trip with her mother this summer after getting some unexpected and rare time off between trials.

They looked at locations such as Ottawa, Quebec City and Manitoulin Island, but every single option would have cost between $3,000 and $5,000 for five days once you tack on expenses, Brener said. The Airbnb or hotel alone would have cost $2,000 anywhere, she added.

So, they're not going.

"It's not even about being able to afford it, although that's true, too. But it just seems so crazy when we used to go to Europe for two months in the summer" for $15,000, Brener said.

"We're the folks buying Canadian, or not American, in the grocery stores and we won't travel to the States, but we also can't justify $300 per night for a studio Airbnb."

Canada's tourism sector is seeing strong interest from domestic travellers this summer, partially as a show of support for local communities, Amy Butcher, vice-president of public affairs at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, told CBC News in a statement.

"Tourism is one of Canada's strongest economic engines," said Butcher, noting that it delivered $130 billion in economic activity in 2024 — 75 per cent of which was from Canadian domestic travel.