The Latest Research: The 2025 Brand Awareness & Perception Study - and More

In addition to surveying residents of British Columbia, the survey was served to a smaller sample of Alberta residents.

Key findings include:

• Among BC families, favourability toward Tofino has increased significantly since 2024.
• Among BC and AB travellers, the top two motivators for visiting Tofino are natural beauty and ocean and forest experiences.
• Main barriers to visiting Tofino are similar across BC and AB, and continue to centre around affordability of travel, ease of access (hard to get to, need to take a ferry), accommodation availability, and crowding.
• Key strengths include being authentic, cherishing/protecting unique natural surroundings, providing a variety of outdoor activities, and making visitors feel connected to nature.
• Untapped potential centres around awareness of cultural, culinary, and educational experiences.

Find the full report here, under the Research & Statistics tab.

The Leger team also recently shared a report on Canadian and US travel behaviour, with these findings as highlights:
 

• Two in five Canadians (42%) travelled for leisure this summer, in line with those who had planned to do so.
   
• Most Canadians stayed close to home. Over half (52%) travelled within their own province, far higher than the 37% who had planned to. While fewer than expected travelled to another province, more than a third (34%) still did so, making it the second most common destination.
   
• Canadians continue to turn their backs on U.S. Travel due to the tariffs. Only 13% of Canadians visited the U.S. this summer, in line with intentions (11%) and reinforcing the broader pullback from U.S. travel (25% planned to travel to the U.S. during summer 2024). In addition, more than a quarter (27%) changed their plans to the U.S. this summer – cancelling, postponing, or choosing another destination due to tariff announcements and the political climate – while fewer than one in ten (8%) followed through as originally intended.
   
• Americans show an even stronger preference for domestic travel. Just under two in five (38%) took a leisure trip this summer, slightly below that of Canadians (42%). Nearly nine in ten American travellers (89%) chose destinations within the U.S..
   
• Canada remains a niche destination for Americans. Only 5% of U.S. leisure travellers – fewer than 2% of all Americans – visited Canada. However, more than a third (35%) of Americans say they are open to a future trip to Canada.
   
• Politics matters less for American travellers. When Americans adjusted their plans, the main reasons were the cost of travel (45%), personal circumstances (35%), and weather concerns (23%). Fewer than one in ten (8%) cited U.S.–Canada tensions, and just over one in ten (13%) pointed to the broader political climate.
   

Find the full report, including Key Recommendations for Canadian Tourism Operators, here.