If you intend to travel outside Metro Vancouver this weekend, plan ahead. The Victoria Day weekend is set to be a busy one.
Vancouver International Airport says it’s expecting around 330,000 visitors to pass through YVR between Friday and Monday.
As Canadians at large continue to avoid travel to the U.S., Flight Centre Canada Head of Communications Amra Durakovic says the top three destinations for the long weekend are B.C., Ontario, and Alberta.
“We’re definitely seeing some strong growth in domestic. It’s actually up six per cent,” said Durakovic.
Internationally, she says Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are leading destinations. Italy, France, and the U.K., she says, are also growing in popularity.
“We are still seeing some Canadians travelling to the U.S.,” Durakovic added. “Not much. Still less than last year, but still, we do have some Canadians there.”
According to Flight Centre Canada’s research, she says Canadians have been avoiding trips south of the border due in part to unfavourable exchange rates and travellers wanting to go “more to destinations where they felt their values were aligned.”
But Durakovic says year-over-year decreases in U.S. destination trips from Canada have themselves marginally decreased.
“When I look at our new bookings from January to end of April 2026 and compare that to the same period in 2025, we actually saw a two per cent increase in new bookings to the U.S. But remember, that’s based off of a much lower comparison from last year.”
Earlier this week, BC Ferries announced its plan to manage what’s expected to be an early and busier peak season.
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The company will begin its summer schedule two weeks early, on June 11, but says the May long weekend is historically its fourth-busiest of the year.
President of the BC Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union, Eric McNeely, said it’s the “unofficial start of summer” and union members are already working a lot of overtime in the maintenance department.
“Especially after the mechanical challenges of Easter weekend,” said McNeely, citing multiple vessel breakdowns, cancellations, and delays in April.
As always, the company recommends customers plan their ferry travel well in advance.