TORONTO, May 27, 2020 – A national survey of 2,000 Canadian adults conducted by Abacus Data Canada for RVezy.com finds that more Canadians are considering going RVing this summer as concerns about COVID-19 change the kind of vacation people are looking for.
RV Dealer News will carry a feature article on the importance of audience measurement in the next issue of the magazine – in the meantime, here is a synopsis of the survey results, with input from RV Dealer News shown in bold type…
Almost half of Canadian families are planning to take, or thinking about taking a summer vacation in 2020…
Despite the pandemic, almost half of Canadians are planning to or are still open to taking a summer vacation this year. 17% of Canadians are planning to take a summer vacation this year, while another 27% say they are still thinking about it. The remaining 56% say they are not planning to take a summer vacation.
In the summary of survey results, Abacus Data described the demographics and geographic breakdown of the survey results…
Canadians under 44 are more likely to be planning or thinking about taking a summer vacation (49%) than older Canadians (40%). Those in BC (52%) and Alberta (54%) are more likely to be planning or thinking about taking a summer vacation than those in Ontario (43%) or Quebec (36%).
When asked why they are not planning a summer vacation this year:
• 62% cite not wanting to venture too far from home because of the pandemic as a major reason.
• 55% cite not being able to take the kind of vacation they like, so they are waiting until they can again.
• 32% cite not being able to afford a summer vacation this year.
How does the RV and camping vacation alternative compare to more traditional modes of family vacation?
From an RV perspective, the most interesting aspect of the survey is the very positive reaction the Canadian public has to the possibility of taking a camping vacation this year –
The survey found that Camping in an RV, trailer, or tent is considered one of the least risky activities to do this summer…
The survey asked respondents to assess how risky or not different types of activities, attractions, and accommodations are as a summer vacation this year, given the pandemic.
Here is what the survey found:
• 81% felt flying on an airplane for summer vacation is somewhat risky or too risky (56% thought it is too risky).
• 80% felt going to a music festival or outdoor concert is risky, including 55% who thought it is too risky.
• 76% felt going to an amusement park or waterpark is risky, including 49% who thought it is too risky.
• 68% felt staying at a resort as part of a summer vacation is risky, including 36% who thought it is too risky.
• 61% felt staying in a hotel or motel as part of a summer vacation is risky, including 29% who thought it is too risky.
In contrast, far fewer felt going camping in a tent or RV/trailer was risky (35%), while 65% described it as not or only a little risky.
Similarly, risk perception of renting an RV, motorhome, or trailer was much lower as well.
The survey focused on Canadians who are “RV curious” to gauge the variance between this segment and the general public as a whole…
Given all this, more Canadians than ever are considering going RVing this summer.
Many Canadians already enjoy RVing. 10% say they were an “RVer” before the pandemic and still are representing about 3 million Canadians. In our survey, 8% or 2.4 million Canadian adults report owning an RV.
RVers are typically older and more likely to live in rural parts of Canada. They are also more highly concentrated in Western Canada (53% live west of Ontario).
But as fears about COVID-19 linger, the number of “RV Curious” Canadians has grown substantially
• 1 in 3 Canadians (9.9 million) say they “never before thought RVing was right for them, but are now open to it.”
• Another 1 in 5 (5.1 million) say they had considered RVing before and are even more open to it now.
These new RV curious Canadians are younger, more urban, and more likely to live in Ontario than those already engaged in RVing.
How strong is the Canadian RV market in this very sensitive era?
Canadians believe RVing is safe, family friendly, and allows them to explore different parts of Canada.
When asked whether several statements describe RVing as part of a summer vacation well or not:
• 85% believe RVing is family-friendly.
• 82% believe RVing allows them to get away and explore different parts of the country.
• 80% believe RVing allows them to get away and find peace and quiet.
• 77% believe RVing is convenient.
• 61% believe RVing is affordable.
And most important, given the need to distance themselves from others, 78% believe RVing “allows me to distance from other people safely”.
The sponsor of this survey, RVezy, offers RV Curious Canadians precisely what they are looking for: a convenient, safe, and affordable platform to find the perfect RV to take around Canada this summer.
For more information on RVezy please visit https://www.rvezy.com/
For the full results of the survey, please visit the Abacus Data Canada website at
