Top Canadian researcher to address Caribbean Week Canada

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Oct 31, CMC – The factors influencing Canadians’ travel plans for winter 2015-16 and the percentage of those who intend to travel to the Caribbean will be among matters discussed when tourism officials gather in Canada next month for the Caribbean Week Canada, the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has announced.

It said that senior research associate at the Canadian Tourism Research Institute, Jennifer Hendry, will present on trends in the industry, with particular reference to the Caribbean, on November 16.

CTO, which is organizing Caribbean Week Canada, said Ms. Hendry conducts surveys of Canadians and their outbound travel intentions and motivations, and produces an annual five-year outbound travel forecast to more than 50 destinations.

“During her presentation she will demonstrate how economic conditions, the cost of travel and population demographics impact Canadians’ travel decisions; compare travel intentions for 2015-16 to previous years, and demonstrate the impact lower trip intentions will have on the short-term travel forecast.”

Hendry said the drop in oil prices has had far reaching effects on Canadian travellers.

“With the Canadian dollar in decline, and disposable income impacted in some parts of the country, many Canadians are finding that their trip intentions are being affected, or even cancelled altogether,” she said.

The CTO said that this year, it will present an expanded programme for Caribbean Week Canada, which includes first-time visits to Kitchener/Waterloo and Burlington, Ontario, where member countries and partners will take the Caribbean message to travel agents.

“Another first will be a church service to launch the week,” the CTO said, adding that the programme also includes a Diaspora Forum on November 16.

Caribbean Week Canada runs from November 15 to 19.