The Dominican Republic is the third preferred destination for Canadians traveling to the Americas. According to Statistics Canada figures for 2009, the most recent year for which data is available, the neighboring US continues to be the top destination for outward-bound Canadians with about 18 million overnight trips, followed by Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Britain, France, Italy and Germany.
Outbound travel by Canadians is up, coinciding with the reality that now 60% of Canadians have passports, compared to 36% in March 2005. Canadians are making 13.2% more trips to overseas destinations in the winter season compared to the previous year, as reported in Canwest News Service.
Canada is a nation of travelers, says Lindsay Pearlman, co-president of Ensemble Travel Group, as reported by Canwest News Service. “We enjoy travelling, especially abroad, and this reflects who we are: most of our families have come to Canada from afar.”
“In the winter, we want sun – beaches and cruises,” Pearlman says.
“Canadians don’t travel as much within Canada as our neighbors to the south travel within the US, Gedeon says. “Sadly, I’ve seen more of the Caribbean than I have of Canada.”