Featured Post from CAA Club Group

MEDIA RELEASE: CAA Survey Reveals Canadians Remain Eager to Travel, but Rising Costs, Global Instability, and Shifting U.S. Attitudes Are Reshaping How and Where They Travel

Mar 10, 2026

3 min

Kaitlynn Furse
CaptionResizeWrap TextRemove

Canadians remain passionate about exploring new destinations, but changing global dynamics are reshaping how and where they travel.


According to CAA’s Travel Wise survey, more than half of Canadians (51 per cent) now say geopolitical and economic factors, such as instability abroad, a perception of the U.S. as being less welcoming, and rising travel costs, are influencing where Canadians choose to travel. 


Shifting Destinations and Attitudes


Travel patterns are evolving. The survey conducted in 2025 shows that only 22 per cent of Canadians planned to visit the U.S., an 11 per cent drop from 2024. Instead, many are opting to stay within Canada (40 per cent) or explore international destinations. The perception of the U.S. as less welcoming, coupled with rising travel costs and global instability, is prompting Canadians to reconsider their travel plans. 


"Canadians are adventurous by nature, but today’s travellers are having to make thoughtful decisions," says Kaitlynn Furse, Director of Corporate Communications. "We’re seeing a clear trend toward exploring closer to home and seeking out new international experiences, all while keeping an eye on safety and value."


Travel Insurance: A Critical, Yet Overlooked, Safeguard


While Canadians feel confident travelling within their own country, many assume “home turf” means low risk. This misconception leaves millions exposed to unexpected costs when trips don’t go as planned. The survey found that 64 per cent did not have travel insurance on their most recent trip when travelling within Canada. 


“Recent stories have highlighted Canadians facing unexpected medical bills, trip interruptions, and emergency expenses while travelling within Canada, often because they didn’t realize their regular provincial health coverage or credit card benefits had limits,” says Furse. “If something were to happen, provincial healthcare only partially covers you outside of your home, and sometimes, not at all, covering only basic emergency medical services when travelling in another province.”  


Among those who travelled uninsured, 44 per cent believed coverage wasn’t needed, and 29 per cent thought their provincial government’s health plan would suffice. However, provincial healthcare only partially covers emergency medical services in other provinces, and sometimes not at all. 


“One of the biggest misconceptions we see is the idea that travelling within Canada comes with less risk,” says Furse. “Unexpected medical costs, trip interruptions and emergencies can happen anywhere, and many travellers are surprised to learn they’re not fully covered.”


With recent geopolitical incidents in Cuba, Mexico and the Middle East, Travel Wise is focused on helping Canadians understand risk, avoid misinformation, and make decisions grounded in facts rather than fear or speculation. Here are some tips: 


  1. Understand what an “avoid non-essential travel” advisory really means: Travel advisories reflect real-time safety risks, and an “avoid non-essential travel” signal indicates rapidly changing conditions that may change quickly, and support may be limited. 
  2. Know that advisories can affect your insurance and your exit options: Travelling against government advice can limit your travel insurance, including medical care or emergency evacuation. Coverage must be in place before conditions deteriorate. 
  3. Flexibility is essential; review cancellation and change policies now: Travellers should proactively confirm cancellation deadlines, refund eligibility, rebooking options for all reservations and understand the limits of credit card protections, employee benefits, and pension coverage benefits.  
  4. Stay connected to Canada while abroad: Canadians should monitor official updates from Global Affairs Canada and register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service before departure or while on location if something arises. 
  5. Rely on reputable sources and be cautious of misinformation online: Canadians should rely on official government sources, established travel organizations, and verified news outlets for travel guidance. 


For many travellers, cancelled or delayed flights remain a top concern. CAA’s Air Passenger Help Guide offers a straightforward resource for travellers facing disruptions.


The online survey was conducted by DIG Insights from September 29 – October 8, 2025, with 2,0210 Canadian travellers aged 25 to 64 who have travelled outside their province of residence in the past three years and plan to travel again in the next five years. Based on the sample size of n=2,021 and with a confidence level of 95%, the margin of error for this research is +/- 2%.)

Connect with:
Kaitlynn Furse

Kaitlynn Furse

Director, Corporate Communications

Media spokesperson and subject matter expert on winter driving, road trips and travel.

Winter DrivingTravel and TourismStrategic CommunicationsRoad Trips
Powered by

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from CAA Club Group

MEDIA RELEASE: New CAA Travel Insurance benefits provide travellers with enhanced coverage that better reflects today’s travel reality featured image

2 min

MEDIA RELEASE: New CAA Travel Insurance benefits provide travellers with enhanced coverage that better reflects today’s travel reality

Ahead of the busy winter travel season, CAA Travel Insurance, a product of Orion Travel Insurance, is introducing several important coverage enhancements to provide broader protection, clearer benefits, and more support when travel plans are disrupted. Key coverage enhancements include: • Emergency medical coverage increased from $5 million to $10 million. • Expanded coverage for climate events and extreme weather. • A new CAA Flight Delay Benefit, to provide cash or lounge passes to travellers delayed two or more hours. • Broader Trip Cancellation and Interruption coverage for major travel disruptions and unexpected personal circumstances. These updates reflect the changing travel realities that Canadians continue to navigate, including the rising costs of medical care. “Today’s travellers face a broad range of risks, from flight disruptions and extreme weather to unexpected medical emergencies and events at home,” says Elliott Silverstein, director, government relations, insurance, CAA South Central Ontario. “These updates deliver clearer benefits, broader protection and new forms of support to travellers when plans change unexpectedly.” The increase in emergency medical coverage reflects the continually rising cost of medical care while travelling abroad. Costs associated with everything from routine treatment to emergency transportation and air ambulance services have increased approximately 14 to 15 per cent annually since 2019. CAA’s expanded climate-related coverage introduces explicit policy language that clearly explains what coverage is available if a natural disaster impacts your destination accommodation, or if weather-related property damage at home disrupts your travel plans. In addition, eligible trip cancellation policies now include a new Flight Delay Benefit, providing an automatic benefit if your flight is delayed. Unlike a traditional expense-based reimbursement process, insured travellers will automatically receive a benefit when their insured flight is delayed by two or more hours, in the form of immediate payment or a lounge pass. CAA’s new Major Travel Disruption coverage addresses eligible flight cancellations or unannounced strikes, which are increasingly impacting travellers. New travel document protection covers stolen documents before departure, as well as documents that are lost or stolen at a destination. Other new covered situations include a stolen private vehicle, possible damage to a home or business, and additional occupancy costs when a travel companion interrupts their trip and the insured traveller continues as planned. “These updates are part of the ongoing optimization of CAA Travel Insurance coverage; intended to provide clearer benefits, broader protection and more support when travel plans change,” says Silverstein. “Travel insurance is not only about responding to major emergencies, it can also provide practical support during the more common situations travellers may experience while they are away from home.” CAA encourages travellers to review their policy, including its eligibility requirements, terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions, before departure. For more information about CAA Travel Insurance and coverage updates, visit: www.caasco.com/travelinsurance

MEDIA RELEASE: New CAA Travel Insurance benefits provide travellers with enhanced coverage that better reflects today’s travel reality featured image

2 min

MEDIA RELEASE: New CAA Travel Insurance benefits provide travellers with enhanced coverage that better reflects today’s travel reality

Ahead of the busy winter travel season, CAA Travel Insurance, a product of Orion Travel Insurance, is introducing several important coverage enhancements to provide broader protection, clearer benefits, and more support when travel plans are disrupted. Key coverage enhancements include: • Emergency medical coverage increased from $5 million to $10 million. • Expanded coverage for climate events and extreme weather. • A new CAA Flight Delay Benefit, to provide cash or lounge passes to travellers delayed two or more hours. • Broader Trip Cancellation and Interruption coverage for major travel disruptions and unexpected personal circumstances. These updates reflect the changing travel realities that Canadians continue to navigate, including the rising costs of medical care. “Today’s travellers face a broad range of risks, from flight disruptions and extreme weather to unexpected medical emergencies and events at home,” says Elliott Silverstein, director, government relations, insurance, CAA South Central Ontario. “These updates deliver clearer benefits, broader protection and new forms of support to travellers when plans change unexpectedly.” The increase in emergency medical coverage reflects the continually rising cost of medical care while travelling abroad. Costs associated with everything from routine treatment to emergency transportation and air ambulance services have increased approximately 14 to 15 per cent annually since 2019. CAA’s expanded climate-related coverage introduces explicit policy language that clearly explains what coverage is available if a natural disaster impacts your destination accommodation, or if weather-related property damage at home disrupts your travel plans. In addition, eligible trip cancellation policies now include a new Flight Delay Benefit, providing an automatic benefit if your flight is delayed. Unlike a traditional expense-based reimbursement process, insured travellers will automatically receive a benefit when their insured flight is delayed by two or more hours, in the form of immediate payment or a lounge pass. CAA’s new Major Travel Disruption coverage addresses eligible flight cancellations or unannounced strikes, which are increasingly impacting travellers. New travel document protection covers stolen documents before departure, as well as documents that are lost or stolen at a destination. Other new covered situations include a stolen private vehicle, possible damage to a home or business, and additional occupancy costs when a travel companion interrupts their trip and the insured traveller continues as planned. “These updates are part of the ongoing optimization of CAA Travel Insurance coverage; intended to provide clearer benefits, broader protection and more support when travel plans change,” says Silverstein. “Travel insurance is not only about responding to major emergencies, it can also provide practical support during the more common situations travellers may experience while they are away from home.” CAA encourages travellers to review their policy, including its eligibility requirements, terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions, before departure. For more information about CAA Travel Insurance and coverage updates, visit: www.caasco.com/travelinsurance

MEDIA RELEASE: 2026 CAA EV Circuit: EVs go the distance, but charging, efficiency and costs vary featured image

4 min

MEDIA RELEASE: 2026 CAA EV Circuit: EVs go the distance, but charging, efficiency and costs vary

The question for Canadians considering an EV may no longer be how far it can go, but how efficiently it uses energy, how quickly it charges and how much it costs to recharge. Results from the 2026 CAA EV Circuit found significant differences across vehicles in all three areas. “Range anxiety has long dominated the conversation about electric vehicles, but these results suggest the discussion can shift to more personalized considerations for drivers,” says Kaitlynn Furse, director, corporate communications, CAA Manitoba. “For many of today’s EVs, the question is becoming less about whether you can complete a trip and more about how efficiently you can make it, where you will charge, how long charging will take, and what it will cost.” All 22 electric vehicles participating in the CAA EV Circuit completed the same 230-kilometre route without needing to charge, including the vehicle with the shortest advertised range. A 15-minute charging test was completed at the end to capture further data. The route started in Blue Mountain, ON and ended in Vaughan, ON. On average, the vehicles used only 40 per cent of their battery charge over the route. EVs demonstrate a significant energy-efficiency advantage over traditional gasoline-powered vehicles The electric vehicles in the Circuit used the energy equivalent of approximately two litres of gasoline per 100 kilometres. By comparison, the average Canadian passenger vehicle consumes roughly eight to 10 litres of gasoline per 100 kilometres. Energy consumption among the participating EVs ranged from 11.43 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres to 28.91 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres, illustrating the variation among vehicle sizes, weights and designs. A more efficient EV generally requires less electricity to travel the same distance, which can contribute to lower charging costs and less time spent charging. A notable finding was that the vehicles in the September 2026 CAA EV Circuit consumed approximately 40 per cent less energy, on average, than the vehicles evaluated during the February 2025 CAA EV Winter Test. While the tests were conducted under different conditions and with different vehicles, the difference highlights the significant impact that temperature can have on EV efficiency. A short charging stop can meaningfully extend a trip When it comes to charging experience, during the standardized 15-minute charging session, participating vehicles added an average of 110 kilometres of displayed range. Almost two-thirds of the vehicles added at least 100 kilometres, demonstrating that a brief charging stop can provide a meaningful boost during a longer journey. Results differed significantly among vehicles. The displayed driving range added during the 15-minute session varied from 58 kilometres to 178 kilometres. Charging performance can be affected by the vehicle, charger, battery temperature, battery state of charge and conditions at the time of charging. These results also highlight the effect of Canadian climate variations. Vehicles tested in the September 2026 CAA EV Circuit added approximately 15 per cent more displayed range during the charging session than the group evaluated during CAA’s 2025 EV Winter Test. “For Canadians planning longer drives, knowing a vehicle’s total range is only part of the equation,” continues Furse. “Drivers should also understand how their vehicle charges and recognize that the number of kilometres added during a stop can change depending on the vehicle and the charging conditions.” Public fast-charging costs are not the same for every EV The Circuit found that the average cost of a 15-minute charging session at the public fast chargers used in the test was $13.45, but individual vehicle results ranged from $7.28 to $24.39. All vehicles were charged at Tesla charging stations to ensure a consistent charging experience, so it is important to note that Teslas receive preferred pricing at Tesla charging stations. The test was designed to reflect a higher-cost road-trip charging scenario, using premium public fast chargers operating at full capacity. It does not represent the typical cost of powering an EV. CAA’s National EV Driver Survey found that public fast charging accounts for only eight to 18 per cent of charging, meaning most EV drivers generally charge under lower-cost circumstances like at home or work. “Just as Canadians compare fuel economy when buying a gasoline-powered vehicle, they should compare energy efficiency and charging performance when considering an EV,” says Furse. “Where and how often someone expects to charge can make a substantial difference to their experience and road-trip costs.” Complete vehicle findings and additional information about the 2026 CAA EV Circuit are available at 2026 CAA EV Circuit: Complete Vehicle Findings -30- About the CAA EV Circuit The CAA EV Circuit was conducted on September 16, 2026, with 22 electric vehicles travelling the same 230-kilometre route from Blue Mountain to Vaughan, Ontario, across city streets, rural roads and highways. Using a neutral data-driven methodology, all vehicles followed the same route, operated under consistent settings and participated in a standardized charging session. Performance data was collected throughout the drive and validated by CAA’s business intelligence and automotive experts. Data Snapshot Most kilometres gained in a 15-minute charging session Lucid Gravity, 178 km Hyundai IONIQ 5, 136 km Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 4MATIC Electric, 135 km Cadillac LYRIQ, 131 km Nissan LEAF, 126 km Least kilometres gained in a 15-minute charging session Lucid Air, 58 km Chevrolet Equinox EV, 71 km Chevrolet Silverado EV, 80 km GMC HUMMER EV SUV, 90 km Tesla Model Y, 97 km Lowest cost per 100 kms of charge added Tesla Model 3, $7.28 Tesla Model Y, $8.23 Nissan LEAF, $10.13 Kia EV4, $10.25 Hyundai IONIQ 5, $10.68 Highest cost per 100 kms of charge added GMC HUMMER EV SUV, $24.39 Chevrolet Silverado EV, $19.05 Rivian R1T, $17.85 Tesla Cybertruck, $15.61 Volkswagen ID. Buzz, $15.48 Lowest energy consumption (kWh/100 km) Toyota bZ 11.43 kWh Tesla Model Y 11.81 kWh Tesla Model 3 11.85 kWh Kia EV4 11.89 kWh Nissan LEAF 12.48 kWh Highest energy consumption (kWh/100 km) Lucid Gravity 28.91 kWh GMC HUMMER EV SUV 23.55 kWh Tesla Cybertruck 23.41 kWh Rivian R1T 19.96 kWh Cadillac LYRIQ 19.1 kWh

View all posts
Powered by