Despite inflation, an industry still in recovery from a global pandemic, and the rising cost of travel, Moose Jaw residents are still flying south in numbers for a much-needed break from Saskatchewan’s winter months.
“Travel this year has been really well received,” said Heather Calvert of Marlin Travel in Moose Jaw. “Everybody kind of envisioned that winter was going to come, and it took a little longer this year to actually arrive, but the planes are full. Everyone is heading south.
“We are seeing a few new travel trends — I’m seeing more people travel to Europe in the winter season, looking for something maybe slightly different than your traditional Puerto Vallarta or Cancun trip. I’m seeing extensive cruising requests, from the South Pacific to the Mediterranean, in addition to, always, the Caribbean at this time of year.”
The province’s direct flight options remain very popular, Calvert said. Cancun and Puerto Vallarta are a big draw for many Saskatchewan residents, along with direct flights to Dominican Republic destinations including Punta Cana and Puerto Plata.
“We do also offer Mazatlan and Cuba on direct flights, and fortunately (we have) WestJet. With their great connections through Calgary, we can reach other destinations like Huatulco, Ixtapa, Jamaica, all same-day, so that’s another exciting option for our market,” Calvert explained.
The school breaks at Christmas and in February remain the most popular times for residents to make their travel plans. However, Calvert noted that Canadians will travel whenever they can during the winter months, so January and March are also peak months for airlines.
Calvert added, “Our winters are very cold, and everyone likes to have a little get-away.”