Canadians describe favourite worldwide vacation locations

A new survey is detailing the top travel destination spots among Canadians.

The poll, conducted by the Royal Bank of Canada, asked respondents what they would see if they could visit only one landmark in the world. Overall, the most common response was the ancient Great Pyramids of Egypt.

Donna Lue-Atkinson, vice president of the rewards program with RBC, said landmarks are a signficant draw for travellers, particularly those who are getting away for relaxation purposes.

"Canadians prefer historic landmarks when looking at the vacation of their dreams," said Lue-Atkinson. "Canadians still place a high priority on vacations, even in an uncertain economic climate."

The survey also questioned individuals about what they considered to be the best city to tour. At 13 per cent, Honolulu, Hawaii, was the most frequent city cited, but European destinations held favour in the eyes of Canadians as well. Paris, Rome, London and Madrid were runners-up.

The survey did not ask respondents about how long they would vacation in these destinations. No matter how long a trip may be, Foreign Affairs and International Trade says a trip overseas should include a travel insurance policy which can provide coverage for any mishaps that may arise, such as medical costs and flight cancellations.

In addition to getting Canadians' opinions in general about where they would like to travel, the RBC poll categorized responses based on gender and where they lived. Men and women were similar in their responses for their top destinations, but slightly more women than men said Honolulu and Paris were their most favoured cities. For landmarks, men were more drawn to the Great Pyramids than women were. They were also more likely to select the Great Wall of China. Meanwhile, women were more apt to choose the U.S.' Walt Disney World, Paris' Eiffel Tower and India's Taj Mahal.

As for the top tourist destinations by region, Ontarians favoured the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Quebec residents preferred to stay closer to home, as the most popular response for them was Walt Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. Albertans were most interested in visiting the Statue of Liberty, while respondents from British Columbia were intrigued by the Acropolis in Greece.