Eighty-seven per cent of Quebecers say they would travel more if they could afford it

MONTREAL, Sept. 15 /CNW/ - What is keeping Quebecers from checking off destinations on their travel bucket list? Lack of money. According to the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card poll, 72% of Quebec residents have a list of places they want to visit in a lifetime but they may not have the money to do it. In fact, even though six in ten Quebecers belong to travel rewards programs, only 41% of Quebecers have taken a vacation that lasted a week or more in the past 12 months.

"Eighty-seven per cent of Quebecers say they would travel more if they could afford it. However, only one-quarter (24%) of those surveyed in Quebec have redeemed rewards points for flights over the last 12 months, and only 21% have redeemed points for hotels," says Francine Laurin, Senior Manager, Credit Cards Contact Center, Québec, TD Canada Trust Credit Cards. "By taking better advantage of travel rewards programs, Quebecers may be able to go on more vacations."

France tops the list of popular dream destinations

Almost three-quarters (72%) of Quebecers have a list of places they want to visit in their lifetime. First on Quebecers' lists is France (38%), followed by the United States (29%), Italy (26%) and Western Europe, excluding the United Kingdom and France (25%).

Quebecers prefer to explore the True North Strong and Free

Interestingly, though many Quebecers have a list of places they would like to visit outside Canada, half (50%) expect their next trip to be within Canada. Quebec residents are the most likely in Canada to say they expect to stay in their own province (39%), and 11% of Quebecers say they will travel to other provinces in Canada.

Researching before they go

Part of the enjoyment Quebec residents get from taking a vacation comes from the preparation that goes into it. Almost three-quarters of those surveyed (73%) say they do at least some research when planning their vacation. Twenty per cent do extensive research, including reading specific online reviews and profiles of places they hope to visit; 29% do some research, including reading online reviews of popular travel sites and seeking the advice of friends and family.

"When researching vacations, Quebecers should also research their credit card and rewards program and how it can help finance their trip," says Laurin. "Keeping more money in your pocket can mean more of that needed time away. One tip I recommend is being flexible, because hotels in big cities like Montreal and Vancouver are often less expensive on the weekend, because they get so many business travelers during the week. Take advantage of this and hit the big cities on the weekends."

About the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card:

The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card allows cardholders to pay for any travel with their TD points - whether for hotel reservations, resort vacations, car rentals, train tickets, cruises, even airport parking and taxes. Any travel you charge to your card can be paid for with your TD Points. Unlike other travel rewards plans, you don't have to plan or book months in advance to use your TD Points. Because there are no advance booking requirements or seat restrictions of any kind, you can use your points any time, even during peak periods and seat sales. With the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card you have the flexibility to book your holiday on your card with the TD Travel Reward Centre or through any travel agency, website or airline and then use your TD Points to cover all or part of the cost of that travel.

With the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card, redeeming points is simple and easy to understand. To book travel using TD Points, book your trip on your Card first and then call the TD Travel Rewards Centre to redeem your TD Points. You may pay for all or part of your trip, even the taxes. For every $1.00 in purchases made using the card, cardholders earn three (3) TD Points and as long as you have a minimum 10,000 TD Points they can be redeemed towards any type of travel, any time to anywhere. New accounts will receive 20,000 Bonus TD Points upon approval that can be used right away. TD Points work like travel dollars with 10,000 points equaling $50 in travel savings.

When you book using your TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card, you are also covered for many different types of insurance, including Travel Medical, Trip Interruption, Trip Cancellation and Auto Rental Collision/Loss Damage Insurance and more. All terms and conditions and exclusions for those insurances are outlined in the Certificate of Insurances included in your Cardholder Agreement.

For more information on the TD First Class Visa Infinite Card, including information on how to calculate TD Points, visit www.tdfirstclass.com.

About the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card poll

Results were collected through the Environics Research national omnibus study. A total of 1,001 completed surveys were collected with adults aged 18+ including 251 in Quebec. Interviews were conducted by telephone between August 1-11, 2010.

About TD Bank Financial Group

2010 marks the 150th anniversary of TD Bank Financial Group (TDBFG) in Quebec. TDBFG has built on a long tradition of quality customer service and community involvement that dates back to the opening of the first branch in Quebec in 1860. Today, TDBFG's Quebec presence includes over 4,000 employees and more than 125 offices and points of service, as well as significant investments in community programs.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Financial Group. TD Bank Financial Group is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves more than 18 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 and TD Insurance; Wealth Management, including TD Waterhouse and an investment in TD Ameritrade; U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD Bank Financial Group also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 6 million online customers. TD Bank Financial Group had CDN$603 billion in assets on July 31, 2010. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.