Where the best deals are hiding this March Break

[Upper Kananaskis Lake in Kananaskis, Alta.]

As March Break nears and the loonie hovers around $0.75, Canadians are getting creative with their holidays.

“Families on a tight budget can still find great trips for the break,” says Heather Greenwood Davis, the travel blogger behind family-focused Globetrotting Mama. “(But) at this late stage, they’ll find the best deals closer to home.”

She suggests doing March break “Canadian style” this year to save on the exchange rate and costs of last minute flights and gas.

“In Ontario and Quebec, it’s a great time to do maple syrup-related outings,” she says. “Most museums across the country are offering discounts, camps or programs as well.”

Abi Paul, the Calgary-based blogger behind budget adventurer site Larky Canuck agrees, pointing out that local and provincial tourism boards are working hard to woo tourists both from the states and closer to home.

“In Alberta, Banff and areas are booming right now due to an influx of foreign tourists (so) it may be hard to obtain great deals there,” says Paul. “But Southern Alberta has Chinook County that offers some incredibly fun things to do.”

The best budgets friendly vacations are to non-core tourist destinations, he says.

“Very few folks think of Saskatchewan as a March Break destination but places like Moose Jaw offer incredible history from the Prohibition Era and a chance to enjoy a thriving art scene in the Prairies,” says Paul. “(Also) this time of year is the last stages of the Northern Lights – companies like Air North and Canadian North specialize in travel to Yukon and Northwest Territories and offer great deals for hotel and airfare from major destinations.”

But heading south isn’t off the table completely.

The U.S. wants you

In light of dwindling tourism – Canadians made 1.7 per cent less trips to the U.S. in December compared to November, a decrease mostly driven by a 2 per cent decline in same-day car trips according to StatsCan – stateside tourism boards have begun campaigns to recapture interest from the north.

New York State announced this week it will be launching an aggressive campaign to attract Canadians to upstate ski destinations. The campaign will also include a US$500,000 investment in promotions, including newspaper and radio advertisements in French and English.

“Myrtle Beach is currently offering deals on hotels, dining and activities at a 30 per cent discount in recognition of our low dollar,” says Greenwood Davis. “(And) keep an eye on the prices of trips you really want: some fares and package deals are cheaper than ever to destinations that typically rely heavily on Canadian travellers – think Florida and Hawaii.”

Or just aim for tier-two cities directly below the border.

“These communities rely a lot on Canadian visitors and with the decline in traffic overall, they are inclined to lure us back with some sweet deals,” says Paul.

While the deals are not advertised or published openly, he recommends calling hotels or tourism boards.

“Mention that you are visiting from Canada, and would like to find out if they have Canadian visitor specific promotions… they will know what you mean,” he says. “March break in 2016 doesn’t have to be about visiting ‘out of country sunny destination’ – if someone really wants warm and beach, there are (always) the hot springs.”