Thanksgiving travel: Canadians spending more on hotels

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and as Canadians cement their travel plans, a new survey suggests we're getting off our wallets and globetrotting.

Canadians spent 5 per cent more on hotel accommodation worldwide in 2012 compared to last year, according to the Hotel Price Index released by Hotels.com.

As the economy improves, travel outside our borders has increased over the course of this year. Canadians made 2.6 million overnight trips outside the country in March, the highest monthly level since Statistics Canada began keeping records in 1972. Bolstered by new duty free limits, shoppers flocked to the U.S. in record numbers this summer. Overnight travel to the U.S. alone rose 7.5 per cent in June -- also the highest level on record.

So where are Canadians spending the most globally? Pacific and Caribbean saw the biggest increases in spending (8 per cent), while Asia came in a close second (7 per cent).

No surprise, Canada's largest cities continue to dominate for top travel destinations. Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal ranked the highest for both domestic and international visitors, according to the Hotel Price Index. And it appears the same will hold true for the upcoming Thanksgiving long weekend.

According to Hotwire.com, here are the 10 most popular Canadian weekend destinations by hotel bookings:

Destination		Average Price on Hotwire
1.	New York City, New York	$233
2.	Montreal, Quebec, Canada	$109
3.	Toronto, Ontario, Canada	$85
4.	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada	$104
5.	Las Vegas, Nevada	$101
6.	Minneapolis, Minnesota	$72
7.	Boston, Massachusetts	$158
8.	Chicago, Illinois	$108
9.	San Francisco, California	$162
10.	Seattle, Washington	$112

Hotel prices rising in North America

If you're one of the many keeping it close to home this Thanksgiving, be forewarned you may be shelling out some additional Benjamins for accommodation compared to last year. According to the Hotel Price Index, which measures bookings across all five-star classes, North American hotel prices shot up 5 per cent in the first half of 2012 -- the second-fastest rise globally, suggesting the hospitality sector is recovering.

"A likely driver of the increases in North America is a boost in domestic economic confidence," Victor Owens, vice president Hotels.com North America, said in a release.

"With gas prices down and interest rates at incredible lows during the first half of the year, many households enjoyed slightly more disposable income. While still not quite up to par with the highs of just a few years ago, times are better for most than in 2008 and 2009, as evidenced by an increase in domestic bookings."

What other countries saw hotel rates skyrocket? Here are the top 10 countries with the biggest increases. All prices in Canadian dollars:

Country	2012	2011	YoY
Poland	$127	$102	24%
United Arab Emirates	$174	$147	19%
Colombia	$162	$140	16%
China	$121	$105	15%
New Zealand	$124	$108	15%
Chile	$159	$139	14%
Japan	$145	$127	14%
Ukraine	$169	$150	13%
Israel	$217	$195	11%
Hong Kong	$158	$142	11%