TORONTO — It’s early days for crystal ball predictions for this winter’s sun bookings – and Canadian consumers still have household budgets on the brain, with upticks in the price of gas and just about everything else.
While travel’s resilience could be tested in the coming months, tour operators say so far preliminary demand for 2026-2027 sun product is strong.
Air Canada Vacations got good pick up with its BOGO offer, which just wrapped Sept. 30, ACV’s VP, Nino Montagnese told Travelweek.
As reported earlier this week, now that consumers are hearing news reports about potentially higher prices for sun vacations this winter, no Cuba in the mix puts room inventory pressure on other Caribbean and Mexico destinations not just from Canada, but other international markets too. That also has tour ops keeping a careful watch on supply, and package pricing.
“The pricing could be affected more if the fuel continues to be at the levels it’s at,” said Montagnese.
Sun resort inventory for the entire industry could be an issue in some of the destinations that already have limited hotel rooms, he added.
After the Cuba repatriation earlier this year, places like the D.R. got a big boost. But for many clients it’s tough to find alternatives to much-loved (and value-priced) Cuba. Some customers who accepted Cuba’s resort experiences as part of Cuba’s charm aren’t as willing to go for similar level accommodation in other destinations. “Finding suitable replacement hotels for the Cuba customer is not that easy,” said Montagnese. ACV has brought on strong three-star-plus product in several of its destinations, including Mexico, the D.R., Jamaica and Roatan.
Transat’s Stéphanie Dussault, Senior Advisor, Communication and Public Affairs, said program adjustments following the Cuba repatriation saw the D.R. perform particularly well, plus Transat has further expanded its offering with destinations including Aruba, Barbados and Los Cabos. Transat is also making additional options available through its partnership with Porter, including the Bahamas and Grand Cayman.
So far demand is strong for core south product and aligned with last year’s trends, she added. As travellers look for new sun spots there could also be more traction for non-traditional sun destinations like Gran Canaria, Senegal and Morocco, all with Transat, said Dussault.
Lyne Chayer, VP, Customer Experience & Vacations – Quebec at WestJet Group, said Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations are seeing strong demand for winter sun travel across the gamut of destinations, in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. The companies are working with hotel partners “to offer a broad range of vacation options.” For clients who have specific destinations, resorts or travel dates in mind: the best selection and flexibility come with early bookings.
“With Cuba currently unavailable, we’re seeing guests consider alternative destinations across our sun portfolio, particularly Mexico and the Dominican Republic,” said Chayer.
Nathalie Tanious, CEO, travelbrands said she and her team are hearing feedback about inventory pressures from travelbrands’ Caribbean and Mexico resort partners. “The early indication is that demand for winter sun is looking healthy, while inventory in certain destinations and at some resorts is expected to be tighter than in a typical winter,” she said.
“With Cuba no longer part of the equation, there’s understandably more attention on how available room inventory will align with demand across Mexico and the Caribbean.”
The message coming through from the resorts: book early, as always – but especially this winter. “Our partners are encouraging travellers who have specific resorts, dates or room categories in mind to book earlier rather than later,” said Tanious. “That said, it’s still early in the season, so we’d be cautious about making broad predictions around availability or pricing across the region. The coming months will give us a better indication of whether travellers are adjusting their booking windows in response.”
