Eighty-seven
per cent of Quebecers say they would travel more if they could
afford it
-TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card
poll examined travel habits and behaviours of Quebec residents-
-Travel rewards programs can help Quebecers achieve
their travel dreams-
Montreal, September 15, 2010
– What is keeping Quebecers from checking off
destinations on their travel bucket list? Lack of money. According
to the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card poll, 72%
of Quebec residents have a list of places they want to visit in a
lifetime but they may not have the money to do it. In fact, even
though six in ten Quebecers belong to travel rewards programs, only
41% of Quebecers have taken a vacation that lasted a week or more
in the past 12 months.
“Eighty-seven per cent of Quebecers say
they would travel more if they could afford it. However, only
one-quarter (24%) of those surveyed in Quebec have redeemed rewards
points for flights over the last 12 months, and only 21% have
redeemed points for hotels,” says Francine Laurin, Senior
Manager, Credit Cards Contact Center, Québec, TD Canada
Trust Credit Cards. “By taking better advantage of travel
rewards programs, Quebecers may be able to go on more
vacations.”
France tops the list of popular dream
destinations
Almost three-quarters (72%) of Quebecers have a list of places they
want to visit in their lifetime. First on Quebecers’
lists is France (38%), followed by the United States (29%), Italy
(26%) and Western Europe, excluding the United Kingdom and France
(25%).
Quebecers prefer to explore the True North
Strong and Free
Interestingly, though many Quebecers have a list of places they
would like to visit outside Canada, half (50%) expect their next
trip to be within Canada. Quebec residents are the most likely in
Canada to say they expect to stay in their own province (39%), and
11% of Quebecers say they will travel to other provinces in
Canada.
Researching before they go
Part of the enjoyment Quebec residents get from taking a vacation
comes from the preparation that goes into it. Almost three-quarters
of those surveyed (73%) say they do at least some research when
planning their vacation. Twenty per cent do extensive research,
including reading specific online reviews and profiles of places
they hope to visit; 29% do some research, including reading online
reviews of popular travel sites and seeking the advice of friends
and family.
“When researching vacations, Quebecers
should also research their credit card and rewards program and how
it can help finance their trip,” says Laurin.
“Keeping more money in your pocket can mean more of that
needed time away. One tip I recommend is being flexible, because
hotels in big cities like Montreal and Vancouver are often less
expensive on the weekend, because they get so many business
travelers during the week. Take advantage of this and hit the big
cities on the weekends.”
About the TD First Class Travel Visa
Infinite Card:
The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card allows
cardholders to pay for any travel with their TD points –
whether for hotel reservations, resort vacations, car rentals,
train tickets, cruises, even airport parking and taxes. Any travel
you charge to your card can be paid for with your TD Points. Unlike
other travel rewards plans, you don't have to plan or book months
in advance to use your TD Points. Because there are no advance
booking requirements or seat restrictions of any kind, you can use
your points any time, even during peak periods and seat sales. With
the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card you have the
flexibility to book your holiday on your card with the TD Travel
Reward Centre or through any travel agency, website or airline and
then use your TD Points to cover all or part of the cost of that
travel.
With the TD First Class Travel Visa
Infinite Card, redeeming points is simple and easy to
understand. To book travel using TD Points, book your trip on your
Card first and then call the TD Travel Rewards Centre to redeem
your TD Points. You may pay for all or part of your trip, even the
taxes. For every $1.00 in purchases made using the card,
cardholders earn three (3) TD Points and as long as you have a
minimum 10,000 TD Points they can be redeemed towards any type of
travel, any time to anywhere. New accounts will receive 20,000
Bonus TD Points upon approval that can be used right away. TD
Points work like travel dollars with 10,000 points equaling $50 in
travel savings.
When you book using your TD First Class Travel Visa
Infinite Card, you are also covered for many different
types of insurance, including Travel Medical, Trip Interruption,
Trip Cancellation and Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance
and more. All terms and conditions and exclusions for those
insurances are outlined in the Certificate of Insurances included
in your Cardholder Agreement.
For more information on the TD First Class
Infinite Visa Card, including information on how to
calculate TD Rewards points, visit www.tdfirstclass.com.
About the TD First Class Travel
Infinite Visa Card poll
Results were collected through the Environics Research national
omnibus study. A total of 1,001 completed surveys were collected
with adults aged 18+ including 251 in Quebec. Interviews were
conducted by telephone between August 1-11, 2010.
About TD Bank Financial
Group
2010 marks the 150th anniversary of TD Bank Financial Group (TDBFG)
in Quebec. TDBFG has built on a long tradition of quality customer
service and community involvement that dates back to the opening of
the first branch in Quebec in 1860. Today, TDBFG's Quebec presence
includes over 4,000 employees and more than 125 offices and points
of service, as well as significant investments in community
programs.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are
collectively known as TD Bank Financial Group. TD Bank Financial
Group is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and
serves more than 18 million customers in four key businesses
operating in a number of locations in key financial centres around
the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD
Canada Trust and TD Insurance; Wealth Management, including TD
Waterhouse and an investment in TD Ameritrade; U.S. Personal and
Commercial Banking, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient
Bank; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD Bank
Financial Group also ranks among the world's leading online
financial services firms, with more than 6 million online
customers. TD Bank Financial Group had CDN$603 billion in assets on
July 31, 2010. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol
"TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock
Exchanges.
For further information:
Mathieu Beaudoin / Charles Durivage
Morin Public Relations
514-289-8688, ext. 225/227
mathieu@morinrp.com / charlesd@morinrp.com
Karen Lafleur
TD Bank Financial Group
514-850-2832
karen.lafleur@tdassurance.com
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