This summer, planning vacations has become tricky – and there’s a sense that we’ve been here before.
We all remember that initial shock in 2020, when our systems of trade and transport – previously understood as untouchable, and nearly always reliable – were thrust into disarray. Suddenly it mattered more where our purchases originated from, and what materials they were generated from. Travelling abroad became more difficult, if not outright impossible. Planes were grounded all over the world, and the return to “normal” seemed like a distant dream.
And it all unfurled while we were collectively confronting an unknown and deadly virus.
We adapted, and as a result of this tremendous upheaval, certain good ideas gained widespread traction: embracing a better work–life balance, baking sourdough bread and making the most of the region where you live. It became the age of the “staycation.”
Now, in the summer of 2026, we’re witnessing the return of some of the markers of those disease-ridden summers. The war in Iran, and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has triggered a massive fuel shortage. Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, has called it “the greatest global energy security threat in history.”
Some 13,000 flights were cancelled in May alone. The implications have been felt around the world. In Europe, governments have called on citizens to limit their car trips, while European airports, including Paris’s Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam’s Schiphol, have seen some of the highest flight-cancellation rates globally. In Asia, which was the recipient of 90% of the oil coming through the strait, fuel shortages have meant that families have no fuel with which to cook, let alone travel. Canadian airlines have discontinued flight routes, with several airlines cancelling nearly all U.S.-bound flights. The Middle East and South America are also grappling with the fallout.
Even before the fuel crisis, Canadians were choosing to stay closer to home. Political tensions with the United States, historically their preferred travel destination, and a weak Canadian dollar are among the factors cited in a recent Léger poll that found that 67% of Canadian travellers planned to keep it domestic.
This shift lines up well with the conditions required for an increased interest in sustainable, nature-focused vacations, according to a research paper in the Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism co-written by Michelle Rutty, assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Waterloo. The findings, based on a survey of 753 Canadians during the pandemic, indicated that Canadians showed a preference for sustainable, regenerative tourism (including staycations) for post-pandemic travel, due to changes in their motivations, values and behaviours.
Current conditions will make many hesitate to book a trip, Rutty says. “It’s important to note that Canadians won’t stop travelling, but rather [will] change the way they travel,” she adds, and will instead consider more local destinations.
This shifting approach to vacations is already being reflected in numbers from parks throughout Canada. BC Parks registered a 60% increase in reservations for the May long weekend this year. Banff National Park notched a record-breaking 4.5 million visitors in the fiscal year 2025/2026. In Quebec, the most recent data available show a 25.3% increase in natural parks visits, reaching 9.4 million in 2023/2024, while total Ontario Parks visits surged to 12.4 million in 2024.
The increased interest in outdoor adventures has led to upgrades in park facilities across the country. In 2025, the Ontario government committed nearly $60 million to add up to 300 new campsites and improve 800 campsites by providing electricity. BC Parks has changed its booking system, which now allows visitors to book just three months in advance instead of four. In Quebec in May, provincial cycling organization Vélo Québec released a new digital platform to encourage more “bike-cations” using the province’s many interconnected bike routes.
Jax Jacobsen is a Montreal-based journalist who specializes in mining, business and climate.
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