Three-quarters
of Canadians have a travel bucket list – but can they
fulfill it?
-TD First Class Travel Infinite Visa Card
Poll examined Canadian travel habits and behaviors-
-Travel rewards programs can help Canadians achieve
their travel dreams-
TORONTO, September 13, 2010
– What is keeping Canadians from checking off
destinations on their travel bucket list? Lack of money. According
to the TD First Class Travel Infinite Visa Card Poll, 74%
of Canadians have a list of places they want to visit in their
lifetime but they may not have the money to do it. In fact, even
though seven in ten Canadians belong to a travel rewards program,
less than half (47%) of Canadians have taken a vacation that lasted
a week or more over the past 12 months.
“Eighty-three per cent of Canadians say
they would travel more if they could afford it. However, only 42%
of those surveyed have redeemed rewards points for flights over the
last 12 months, and only one-quarter have redeemed points for
hotels,” says Stacie Pearson, Associate Vice President,
TD Canada Trust Credit Cards. “By taking better advantage
of travel rewards programs, Canadian travellers may be able to go
on more vacations.”
US, France, Italy and U.K. top list of
popular dream destinations
Three-quarters (74%) of Canadians have a list of places they want
to visit in their lifetime. Women are more likely than men to have
such a list (78% vs. 69%). Respondents 30 years of age or less
(85%), those with incomes of over $100,000 (82%), and university
graduates (80%) were also among the most likely to have such a
list. The most popular destinations include those in the United
States (34%), France (24%), Italy (19%) and the U.K. (17%).
Canadians prefer to explore the True North
Strong and Free
Interestingly, though many Canadians have a list of places they
would like to visit outside Canada, half of those surveyed (51%)
expect their next trip to be within Canada. One-third expect to
stay within their own province, while another 18% say they will
travel to other provinces in Canada. People in Quebec (39%),
Alberta (38%) and Atlantic Canada (38%) are most likely to vacation
in their own province.
Researching before they go
Part of the enjoyment Canadians get from taking a vacation comes
from the preparation that goes into it. Three-quarters of
respondents (71%) say they do at least some research when planning
their vacation. Eighteen per cent do extensive research, including
reading specific online reviews and profiles of places they hope to
visit; 37% do some research, including reading online reviews of
popular travel sites and seeking the advice of friends and
family.
“When researching vacations, Canadians
should also research their credit card and rewards program and how
it can help finance their trip,” says Pearson.
“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 Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are often
less expensive on the weekend, because they get so many business
travellers 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. If you use your TD First Class Infinite Travel
Visa Card to book your travel through the TD Travel Rewards Centre,
you will earn triple the TD Points.
With the TD First Class Travel 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 Reward 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 you can use 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.
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 Research House national omnibus
study. A total of 1,001 completed surveys were collected with
adults aged 18+. Interviews were conducted by telephone between
August 1-11, 2010.
About TD Bank Financial
Group
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:
Carolyn Abbass / Steve Presant
Paradigm Public Relations
416-203-2223
cabbass@paradigmpr.ca /
spresant@paradigmpr.ca
Tashlin Hirani
TD Bank Financial Group
416-982-3375
Tashlin.hirani@td.com
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