Travel Love at First Sight: Canadians Say the First 24 Hours of a Vacation Can Make or Break the Trip According to Booking.com

TORONTO, July 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

You'll never have a second chance to make a good first impression, and as it turns out, the same thing goes for your vacation.

According to research commissioned by Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the best places to stay, the first 24 hours^[1] of a holiday are crucial. Nearly half of Canadian travellers (48%) believe that the first day sets the tone for the rest of the holiday, and almost one in three (30%) go as far to say that these hours can make or break their entire trip.

But how do these first 24 hours play out? For more than two thirds of Canadians (64%), the first day of vacation is essential in establishing rest and relaxation.  It's no wonder then, that more than three quarters of these travellers (78%) said going for a beer or glass of wine was a top priority on their travel agenda after arriving.

In fact, when Canadian respondents were asked about the top things they'd want to do during the first day of their holiday, the results paint an interesting picture of a 21^st century traveller. While more 'traditional' elements such as unpacking bags (85%) and exploring accommodations (83%) came out in the top three activities, the research also shows how tech orientated vacation activities have become.

For many, technology was a priority, as nearly half of Canadians (42%) opted to first check out online restaurant reviews, while one in three (30%) insisted on taking the ultimate photo for social media.

A Different First 24 Hours? 

Globally, 38% of travellers believe that the first 24 hours of a trip are the most memorable, but high expectations can mean we're prone to worrying that things won't go as well as we want.  More than one quarter (26%) of Canadians say they worry about things going wrong in the first day, with no access to Wi-Fi being one of their top concerns.

But are these anxieties founded? How much do we expect a different first 24 hours to what actually happens? When questioned about what travellers were worried would happen versus what actually happened, it's clear that Canadians tend to fret more than they need to:

• Close to half (46%) were worried they would lose their luggage; this may be more of an urban myth as only eight per cent had this happen to them.
• Forty-two per cent fretted about accommodation not living up to their expectations but their holiday story had a happy ending as 86% were pleasantly surprised when this actually did.

On the flip side, perception matches reality when it comes to our holiday hopes with these often being met. It was revealed that:

• Nearly two thirds (62%) of Canadians hoped to arrive to perfect weather; actually almost seven in 10 (66%) said their wish came true - proving the weather gods may well exist.
• Just over half said they hoped to have a seamless travel experience; this was close to reality with 49% living that wish.
  

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1. Defined as the moment we arrive at our destination

Pepijn Rijvers, Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com comments: "Holidays are times when we can go to new places, try new experiences and take a break from the routine of everyday life. Expectations often run high and with so much to see and do, a lot rides on those first 24 hours. Our mission at Booking.com is to empower people to experience the world, and that includes helping to ensure that those first holiday hours meet, if not exceed, those expectations. Accommodation is one component integral to any holiday, so whether you want to stay connected via Wi-Fi, munch a hearty breakfast every day or simply gaze on a great view, we make it easy to find the right stay for you, as well as developing the best in technology-powered solutions to make in-destination exploration a cinch, right from the start."

NOTES TO EDITORS 

Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a nationally representative sample, provided by Research Now. In total 18,496 respondents were surveyed (1,000+ from the UK, US, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, India and Russia and 500+ each from Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand and Taiwan). Respondents completed an online survey between 27th April and 15^th May 2017.

*Analysis of real Booking traveller review data across 42 languages, where specific keywords of 'friendly locals', 'taking / the perfect photograph', 'discover/discovering a hidden gem', were mentioned. The nationalities were then ranked as per those who mentioned these words the most in their reviews.

About Booking.com 

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), Booking.com now employs more than 15,000 employees in 199 offices in 70 countries worldwide.

With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travellers with the world's largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in over 40 languages, offer over 1.3 million properties, and cover more than 110,000 destinations in 227 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.4 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So whether travelling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal accommodation quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

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CONTACT DETAILS
For further information, contact the Booking.com Canadian Press Office;
Sarah Zajac / Sarah@punchcanada.com