U.S. still top choice for snowbirds, but interest in int’l destinations is growing: survey

The United States is still a top destination for Canadian snowbirds, but interest in international destinations is growing, especially among newer snowbirds, according to a new survey.

Snowbird Advisor, a popular online resource for Canadian snowbirds, conducted a poll of its readers in the first week of November and received more than 4,500 responses.

Of its findings, 86 per cent of respondents currently spend their winters in the U.S. with 14 per cent spending their winters in a variety of international destinations.

However, 25 per cent of newer snowbirds said they were interested in exploring international destinations.

In terms of where snowbirds are going, the survey revealed that the top five current destinations for snowbirds are:

1. Florida
2. Arizona
3. California
4. Mexico
5. Texas

Other destinations that attract snowbirds include South Carolina, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica and Panama.

“The U.S. has always been and continues to be the most popular destination for Canadian snowbirds, but we are seeing a growing trend among snowbirds who choose to spend their winters in other destinations,” said Stephen Fine, president and founder of Snowbird Advisor. “This is particularly true among newer snowbirds, who are more likely to consider international destinations and less likely to go to the same destination year after year – at least for the first few years after becoming snowbirds.”

Other interesting findings

The survey revealed a number of other interesting facts about the habits and interests of Canadian snowbirds.

Here are just a few of the findings:

• More than 70 per cent of respondents spend three months or more away each winter.
• 78 per cent go to the same destination every year, while 22 per cent move around to different destinations each year. However, among newer snowbirds the percentage who plan on moving around to different destinations each year jumped to over 37 per cent.
• 68 per cent of snowbirds who go to the U.S. drive to their destination, while 32 per cent fly.
• For accommodations, 50 per cent own either a house, condo or manufactured home in their winter destination, 40 per cent either rent or stay in a hotel or resort and 10 per cent own an RV.
• 77 per cent have family and friends come to visit them while they are away during the winter.
• Almost 38 per cent come back to Canada one time during the winter and 12 per cent come home two to three times over the winter.

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