OTTAWA — The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) has released its 2014 “Canadian Travel Intentions Survey,” which shows that while business and leisure travel is stable, national business travel is down in Ontario.
Ontario’s business travel traffic is projected to drop four per cent compared to last year. “While business travel numbers remain stable for 2014, there is some worry about the downturn in Ontario,” said Tony Pollard, president, HAC. “This information, on the heels of the federal budget cuts to provincial transfer payments, is not good news for Ontario properties catering to domestic business travellers.”
Business travellers cite the price of gas and energy (20 per cent) and the cost of airfare (20 per cent) as the main reasons why they will be travelling less. The economy, although not much of a concern last year, is now the third reason people are travelling less for business in 2014 (17 per cent). The Canadian dollar is also a concern for 16 per cent of business respondents.
Overall, the Prairies and British Columbia are expected to have the highest increase of business travel at 27 per cent (three per cent more than the national average)
The 10th edition of the annual “Canadian Travel Intentions Survey,” which polled more than 1,500 “likely travellers,” was conducted in January.
