Many will remain within Canada and even within their own province
Lévis (Québec), July 16, 2009 – The recession won’t prevent Canadians from taking their vacations this summer. According to an Ipsos Descarie survey conducted on behalf of Desjardins Financial Security, 70% of Canadians plan to travel this summer. But all indications are that the difficult economic climate is encouraging them to stay closer to home, with 81% opting to travel in Canada for at least part of their vacations. A large number of Canadians (45%) will even remain within their province of residence.
| Province of residence | % | Travel destination for vacations |
|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick | 49 | Atlantic Canada |
| Nova Scotia | 43 | |
| Prince Edward Island | 39 | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 15 | |
| Québec | 68 | Québec |
| Ontario | 74 | Ontario |
| Manitoba | 22 | Midwestern Canada |
| Saskatchewan | 25 | |
| Alberta | 50 | |
| British Columbia | 81 | British Columbia |
Perhaps because of the new requirement to hold a passport to cross the border, only 29% of travellers plan to vacation in the United States this year.
Only 1 in 2 travellers in Canada has travel insurance while travelling throughout Canada
While they may not know exactly how much their provincial health insurance plans will pay, three-quarters of Canadians (76%) say they do know that health care expenses resulting from an accident or illness that occurs while travelling outside their province of residence are not fully reimbursed by their province’s health plan. In spite of this, the survey shows that half of Canadian travellers lack travel insurance at the present time. “The provincial health insurance plan reimburses only part of the cost of emergency care received in another Canadian province or in another country, up to a maximum amount, which varies from one province to another,” says Fran�ois Morel, Travel Insurance Advisor, Desjardins Financial Security.
Important to check carefully travel insurance provided by group insurance or credit card
Many Canadians with travel insurance have it through their group insurance plans (71%) and 4 out of 10 have coverage through their credit cards. However, Fran�ois Morel reminds us that it’s better to be safe than sorry, “Even with travel insurance that’s part of a group insurance plan or credit card privileges, it’s important to check whether enough coverage is offered before going away. For example, coverage for lost baggage is not always included. In this case, the traveller could enjoy better protection by purchasing additional travel insurance.”
“To ensure a peaceful trip, whether you’re travelling abroad or just outside your province of residence, travel insurance always provides you with the coverage you need, for emergency health care as an example. It will help you avoid expensive health care bills that can cost thousands of dollars, while offering you the peace of mind you need to enjoy your vacation,” concludes Fran�ois Morel.
About the survey
Ipsos Descarie conducted this web survey on behalf of Desjardins Financial Security between June 17 and June 21, 2009. In all, 1,051 questionnaires were completed by a representative sampling of Canadian residents who were randomly selected from the Ipsos Canadian internet panel. Data was weighted to reflect the distribution of the Canadian population in terms of the country’s main regions (Atlantic Provinces, Québec, Ontario, the Prairies, and British Columbia), and by age and gender.
About Desjardins Financial Security
Desjardins Financial Security, a subsidiary of Desjardins Group, the largest integrated cooperative financial group in Canada, specializes in providing life insurance, health insurance and retirement savings products to individuals and groups. Every day, over five million Canadians rely on Desjardins Financial Security to ensure their financial security. Desjardins Financial Security employs 3,800 people and administers $19.5 billion in assets from offices in several cities across the country, including Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec, Lévis, Halifax and St. John’s. For more information, please visit http://www.desjardinsfinancialsecurity.ca.
