Canadians Dream of Getting Away...From the Kids

Most prefer spouse/partner over children for vacation trips, says TD Visa Travel Poll TORONTO, April 26 /CNW/ - When it comes to vacation trip companions, seven in ten Canadians prefer their spouse or partner, while only 6% would choose their children, according to a recent Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of TD Canada Trust. The on-line omnibus poll, which asks Canadians about their vacation travel habits and preferences, was conducted between April 3 and April 5, 2007 among 1,000 adults aged 18 and older across Canada. Nationally, children are the third choice, behind friends (14%) and just ahead of other family members (5%). Only Atlantic Canadians rank the kids as the second choice (11%) after spouse or partner (73%). "The TD Visa Travel Poll confirms that for most Canadians, a vacation 'get-away' means just that: some time alone with our spouse or partner, and a short respite from our every-day concerns and responsibilities," says Jim Sallas, Vice President, TD Visa. When asked to name the factors that could influence their choice of a vacation destination, 95% of travelers cite safety and security. This strong finding holds true across all regions. The next three factors are virtually equal in importance, with four-in-five travelers citing each: access to restaurants, shopping and cultural attractions (82%); access to nature (82%); and an environmentally friendly destination (81%). At the low end of the list are amenities such as a gym, pool or water sports (53%); night life attractions (45%); and vacationers in the same age group (41%). "While safety and security may not be pressing issues for most Canadians at home, they become top-of-mind when we travel," continues Sallas "This reflects the new reality in our post 9-11 world. Vacations are all about leaving worries behind, and it is no surprise that people will choose destinations based on their perceptions of security." Price and Payment Preferences Vacation dreams come with price tags. Just over one-third of respondents (36%) say they are willing to pay between $1,000 and $2,000 per person for their dream vacation. Others fell into the following per person spending categories: - 7% will pay less than $500 - 23% will pay from $500-$1,000 - 26% will pay $2,000 or more - 8% say that "price is not an issue". While two out of three people (66%) pay for their vacations from their savings, one in four (26%) pay with their credit cards. In Ontario, this tendency increases to 32%. Of those surveyed only about 3% are using their travel rewards points to pay for vacation trips. "This number surprised us because it differs from what we are seeing from our own cardholders," comments Sallas. "One explanation might be that many people think they have to save up enough points to cover the complete cost of a trip when, in fact, there are programs, like TD's Travel Rewards Program, that allow you to redeem with as little as 5000 points." Frequency of Vacation Trips The survey finds that one in five Canadians do not travel for pleasure or vacations in any given year, and this finding is correlated to both income levels and level of education. For those with an annual household income of less than $30,000, more than a third (36%) do not go away on vacation. Correspondingly, nine-in-ten university graduates are likely to take vacation trips versus 58% among those with less than a high school education. Among Canadians who travel on vacation, 46% do so twice a year or more, and another 48% take one trip per year. In most cases, their most recent trip lasted a week (29%). About Ipsos Reid Ipsos-Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country's leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos-Reid employs more than 300 researcher professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos-Reid's Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada-including the Ipsos Trend Report, the leading source of public opinion in the country-all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos-Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group. To learn more, visit www.ipsos.ca About TD Bank Financial Group The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Financial Group. TD Bank Financial Group serves more than 14 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; Wealth Management including TD Waterhouse and an investment in TD Ameritrade; Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities; and U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking through TD Banknorth. TD Bank Financial Group also ranks among the world's leading on-line financial services firms, with more than 4.5 million on-line customers. TD Bank Financial Group had CDN$408 billion in assets, as of January 31, 2007. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges under the symbol "TD". For further information: Stephen Ledgley, NATIONAL Public Relations, (416) 848-1376, sledgley@national.ca

Canadians Dream of Getting Away...From the Kids

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