If the constant mayhem at Pearson Airport wasn’t an obvious hint, the busy summer travel season has begun and Canadians are racing to get out and see the world again, whether abroad or right in their own backyards.
The easing of border and testing restrictions are among the factors that travellers eager to book getaways, with IPSOS data showing 60 per cent of Canadians are thinking about, planning or have already booked a trip for 2022.
This translates to a whole lot of Google search activity, and the internet search giant has released a list of its top-searched summer, domestic, and sunshine destinations, as well as a look into the most popular searches for Canadian tourist attractions.
The results show that Toronto is high on Canadians’ domestic travel bucket list, ranking the second most-searched destination in the country after Vancouver.
And while Toronto failed to take the top spot for the hottest domestic getaways, five of the top ten most-searched attractions in Canada are located in the city and surrounding region.
The top attraction in the country based on Google search activity was Canada’s Wonderland in Vaughan, just north of Toronto.
Niagara Falls, while a good distance from the city, ranked as the second-hottest attraction. In the city proper, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and the Toronto Zoo took the #3 and #7 spots, respectively.
The controversial Marineland in Niagara Falls rounded out the bottom of the top ten.
Google’s top-searched Canadian tourist attractions
- Canada’s Wonderland
- Niagara Falls
- Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
- Lake Louise
- Banff National Park
- Canadian Rockies
- Toronto Zoo
- Jasper National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Marineland
Southern Ontario’s five rankings on the list happen to be the only inclusions that are not natural features, with the mountainous landscapes of western National Parks and mountain ranges taking up all remaining spots on the list.
