EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Over the last two years, 27.0% of adult Canadians (4,076,814) took an overnight trip to Ontario from another province. 72.8% (2,942,654) of those who took a trip to Ontario report taking a “pleasure trip” to the province. Overall, 26.1% of the Canadian Pleasure Travellers from other provinces reported taking at least one pleasure trip to Ontario during the past two years. Ontario was the most frequently visited Canadian destination by Canadian Pleasure Travellers who visited another province in Canada.

Those who took a pleasure trip to Ontario are most likely to live in Manitoba, Quebec and the Atlantic Region. Those from Saskatchewan were the least likely to have taken a pleasure trip to Ontario during the last two years.

Canadian Pleasure Travellers who visited Ontario are slightly over-represented among those 55 and older. They are also more likely to have a university degree (37.4%) and report above-average household incomes ($74,104).

Canadians who visited Ontario from another province are more active than other Canadian Pleasure Travellers in culture and entertainment pursuits while on trips. Relative to other Canadian Pleasure Travellers, they were more likely to have attended a literary or film festival and live art performances (e.g., high art performance, live theatre, musical concerts), to have gambled in a casino and to have taken part in a wine, beer or food tasting while on trips. They are also quite active in outdoor activities while they travel and were especially likely to have exercised, jogged or cycled and to have gone skiing (e.g., cross-country skiing, downhill skiing) during the past two years.

Canadians who visited Ontario prefer vacations that provide intellectual stimulation, learning opportunities (e.g., learn about the history and culture of the destination, to enrich one’s perspective on life), novelty and an opportunity to renew connections with friends. This suggests that Ontario should market itself as a place with novel and intellectually stimulating activities and attractions.

Canadians who took a trip to Ontario are somewhat above-average users of the Internet to plan (66.4%) and book travel (45.2%). They are also somewhat above-average consumers of travel media. They may be most effectively reached through news programming (e.g., news magazine, all news radio stations, news websites). They may also be targeted through business, finance and investing magazines, city lifestyle magazines and intellectual television programming (e.g., history, biography). They are more likely than others to listen to radio stations that feature jazz / big band music and classical music.