- Canadians turn to road trips for greater control over the
itinerary and the ability to add stops along the way
- Of the surveyed generations, Gen Z Canadians have the
most safety concerns about air travel, which has affected their
travel plans
- Gen Z is also the generation most concerned about the
cost of travel; however, over one in two surveyed are willing to
spend more than their monthly pay cheque on a vacation this
summer
TORONTO, June 24,
2024 /CNW/ - A new study conducted by Turo, Canada's
leading car sharing marketplace in partnership with Maru/Blue, has
revealed Canadians' attitudes towards travel this summer, including
their preferred mode of transportation, type of trip, and concerns
regarding vacationing amidst a challenging macroeconomic
landscape.
Prioritizing road trips
The study's results indicate
that Canadians have a strong interest in driving over flying to
their vacation destination:
- Over half (57 per cent) of Canadians surveyed would rather
spend five hours or more driving to their summer vacation than fly
in general. Once reaching their destination, having a vehicle
remains beneficial as more than three in four (78 per cent)
respondents felt having access to a car while on vacation helps
reduce the stress from travel plans.
- With a majority of Canadian respondents (65 per cent)
preferring road trips to flying, Canadians feel roads trips
provide:
- Greater control over their itinerary (45 per cent)
- The ability to add multiple destinations to their trip they
otherwise wouldn't get to experience (42 per cent)
- Better pricing (32 per cent)
"Results from the study strongly indicate Canadians have an
appetite to road trip this summer as it offers more
personalization, from taking spontaneous pit spots along the way,
packing extra items like camping gear or bicycles, or even bringing
your dog along for the ride," says Cedric
Mathieu, Senior Vice President and Head of Turo Canada. "We're seeing Canadians turn to
Turo for these road trips because they can pick the exact vehicle
they want for any adventure, whether that's a family-friendly SUV,
a sleek convertible, or anything in between."
Flying causing hesitation
In addition to identifying
the benefits of road trips, Canadians, and Gen Zs (respondents aged
18-27) in particular, shared specific hesitations around
flying:
- The majority (51 per cent) of Gen Z respondents agreed
that safety concerns about air travel have affected their travel
plans this year, which is the highest among all generations
surveyed. The average across all Canadians surveyed is 32 per
cent.
- One in four (25 per cent) of Gen Z respondents cited
avoiding flight delays as a reason for preferring road tripping
over flying, the largest percentage of all generations surveyed.
The average across all Canadians surveyed is 13 per cent.
Affording travel amid the high cost of living
Of
the generations surveyed, Gen Zs are also the most concerned about
the cost of travel, despite being the most willing to spend a
sizable portion of their income on a vacation:
- More than one in two (53 per cent) of Gen Z respondents
are willing to spend more than their monthly pay cheque on a summer
trip this year, which is higher than the average across all
Canadians (37 per cent) and the highest of all generations
surveyed.
- 73 per cent of Gen Z respondents agree that given current
inflation rates, saving enough for a trip just isn't feasible, the
highest of all generations surveyed. Across all Canadians, this
figure drops to 65 per cent.
- Similarly, 70 per cent of Gen Z respondents agree their
travelling budget has decreased compared to last year due to the
high cost of living.
- Finally, 26 per cent of Gen Z respondents have spent
between $5,000 to $10,000 on vacations in the past year. This
figure decreases to 23 per cent across all generations.
About the study:
This Maru Public Opinion survey
conducted on behalf of Turo was undertaken by the sample and data
collection experts at Maru/Blue. 1,519 randomly selected Canadian
adults who are Maru Voice Canada
online panelists were surveyed from May
28th to May
29th 2024. The results of this study have been
weighted by education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) to match the population,
according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is
representative of the entire adult population of Canada. For
comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an
estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of
+/- 2.5per cent, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between
totals when compared to the data tables are due to rounding.
About Turo
Turo is the world's largest car
sharing marketplace, where you can book the perfect car for
wherever you're going from a vibrant community of trusted hosts
across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and France. Flying in from afar or looking for a
car down the street, searching for a rugged truck or something
smooth and swanky, you can skip the rental car counter and choose
from an extraordinary, totally unique selection of nearby vehicles
shared by local hosts. Entrepreneurs can take the wheel of their
futures by becoming hosts and building car sharing businesses on
Turo, leveraging our established platform to scale their businesses
to meet their goals.
With an unwavering mission of putting the world's 1.5 billion
cars to better use, Turo unlocks the hidden value in idle and
underutilized assets, empowering anyone to get in the driver's
seat. Find your drive®— Turo.
About Maru/Blue
Maru is a world leading CX
and insights software and advisory services company. The company
was founded to disrupt the data and insight delivery industry with
a combination of software and advisory services delivering data in
real time via a unique service model. Maru helps its clients make
informed decisions in near real time by combining proprietorial
software, deep industry experience, and access to the best minds in
research. A flexible service model makes it possible for clients to
choose to self-serve using the software platform directly to
create, launch and analyze projects; or choose to utilize the
software along with knowledgeable support from insights experts.
Maru is a proud member of the Stagwell Marketing Cloud.
SOURCE Turo Inc.