Shifting Travel Landscape.
Canadians Choose Domestic Getaways Due to Cost While Travel + Leisure Unveils World's Best Awards.
Key Points
Flight Centre Canada notes that the exchange rate remains the biggest deciding factor for Canadians travelling, with many travellers preferring to spend in Canadian dollars to avoid currency losses.
Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards evaluate more than 10,088 total properties across hotels, cities, cruise lines, spas, airlines, and more, highlighting a broad, multi-category approach to travel experiences.
The World's Best Awards are in their 31st year, illustrating a long-standing, reader-driven tradition in assessing global travel experiences.
Safari outfitters are included as a category within the World’s Best Awards, underscoring Travel + Leisure's broadened focus on diverse experiential travel beyond hotels and cities.
Canadians are staying home this summer — and for good reason. Domestic bookings now make up roughly one-third of all flights booked through Flight Centre Canada, with peak-season departures rising 17% year over year, according to NOW Toronto. The weak Canadian dollar is the biggest driver, with travelers choosing to spend in CAD rather than lose money on currency exchange.
At the same time, Travel + Leisure has released its 2026 World's Best Awards — now in their 31st year — tallying more than 661,000 votes from over 207,000 readers across 10,088 properties worldwide. The results paint a picture of a global traveler hungry for authentic experiences and standout service, whether that means a resort in the Maldives or a coastal escape in Cape Breton.
The Canadian Dollar Is Keeping Travelers at Home
Flight Centre Canada says the exchange rate is the single biggest factor shaping travel decisions right now. With the Canadian dollar trading well below the US dollar, many Canadians simply can't afford to lose money on conversion. Staying local means spending in CAD from start to finish, according to NOW Toronto.
Overtourism concerns are also pushing people toward lesser-known domestic spots. Destinations like Cape Breton in Nova Scotia are seeing rising interest, offering wildlife, Celtic culture, and coastal scenery. East and West Coast destinations lead the surge, giving travelers bucket-list experiences without leaving the country.
World's Best Awards Crown Service as the True Differentiator
Travel + Leisure's 2026 World's Best Awards span hotels, cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, airlines, and even safari outfitters. That last category signals how far the awards have expanded beyond traditional hospitality. In total, the survey covers more than 10,088 properties across the globe, making it one of the broadest reader-driven rankings in travel media.
Across every category, one theme stands out: exceptional service turns first-time visitors into loyal return guests. Winners consistently offer a strong sense of place, distinctive design, and compelling stories. These are the qualities that readers — 207,000 of them — said mattered most when casting their 661,000 votes.
Top Hotels Span 35 Countries, with Islands Leading the Pack
The top 100 hotels in the 2026 awards represent 35 countries. Island destinations in the Maldives and Bali rank among the most celebrated. These spots draw repeat visitors thanks to a mix of natural beauty, immersive design, and high-touch hospitality that readers consistently rated above the rest.
Top cities in the rankings also stood out for their mix of attractions and hospitality culture. From Central America to North Africa and the South Pacific, the geographic spread shows that great travel experiences aren't concentrated in any one region. What unites the winners is quality — not location.
A Shift Toward Value and Accessible High-Quality Travel
Both trends — Canadians going local and global travelers seeking authentic experiences — point to the same shift. Travelers want high value for their money. For Canadians, that means a 17% jump in domestic peak-season departures and growing interest in underexplored home destinations, according to NOW Toronto.
For global travelers, value means service, story, and substance — not just a luxury price tag. The World's Best Awards, now 31 years old, reflect that shift clearly. Whether travelers are crossing an ocean or a province, they want experiences that feel worth every dollar spent.
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