A hiker takes in the sunrise from the top of Tin Hat Mountain along the Sunshine Coast Trail. Photo credit: Destination BC/Andrew Strain
Yes, staycations are practical. They’re less expensive, easier to plan, and free of the logistics that come with long-distance travel. But there’s more at play. For many Canadians, choosing to stay close is also about healing—about slowing down, reconnecting, and rediscovering what’s always been here.
In 2024, Destination Canada reported that nearly 80% of tourism spending came from domestic travellers. That’s not just a pandemic aftershock—it’s a shift in mindset. Canadians are choosing travel that reflects their values. With rising airfare, time constraints, and growing climate awareness, we’re leaning toward experiences that offer meaning, sustainability, and ease. That same year, more than 60% of Canadians cited these values as key in shaping their travel decisions.
This isn’t about cutting back. It’s about choosing differently. It’s about turning inward—toward the familiar, the local, the restorative.
That’s why, in March 2025, Destination BC launched its Make the Trip Home campaign—a province-wide invitation to rediscover where we live with fresh eyes and open calendars. The campaign encourages residents to explore more deeply, stay a little longer, and travel in ways that give back to community and ecology alike.
“Make the Trip Home reminds us that discovery doesn’t require distance—just intention.”
— Destination BC
Destination BC’s ‘Make The Trip Home’ Campaign
What resonates best about this is it being intentional which makes it cut across, emotionally and generationally.
Younger Canadians are also helping shape this shift. For many, travel doesn’t have to mean going far—it just has to feel meaningful. That might look like trying a neighbourhood café they hadn’t noticed before, walking a forested trail nearby, or spending time in a place they’ve passed by for years. These micro-trips reflect a broader trend: travel that’s more intentional, more mindful, and often, more rewarding.
The Quiet Rise of Botanical Gardens in the Staycation Movement
In this quiet revolution, botanical gardens are proving to be some of the most powerful local destinations. These are not just places of beauty. They’re places of learning, reflection, and calm. And their role in this staycation era is becoming increasingly clear.
UBC Botanical Garden, for example, is more than a collection of rare plants. It’s a living museum, an outdoor classroom, and a community space. It offers something for every kind of traveller: family-friendly events, contemplative walks, seasonal festivals, and deeper conversations—like the recent Climate Conversations series that invited guests to explore environmental futures from a place of hope and participation.
And it’s not just anecdotal. Since 2022, we’ve seen a sustained rise in local attendance, increased membership engagement, and strong interest in programming that brings people together around nature, culture, and community. Visitors return with friends, with family, with curiosity—and often leave feeling renewed.
With offerings like the Cultivara Tree Tours and the Greenheart TreeWalk, the Garden invites people of all ages to explore, reflect, and connect—without ever leaving the city.
Choosing Home
Local travel doesn’t just fuel the economy. It builds pride, stewardship, and belonging. It gives us time to notice again. To see where we live with more care and more clarity. And perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that the wonder we seek in faraway places can also be found right here—under a canopy of native plants, along a quiet path, in the simple joy of being grounded in place.
At UBC Botanical Garden, and in gardens across Canada, we’re honoured to be part of this growing movement: A reminder that meaningful travel doesn’t always require going far—it just asks us to look a little closer.
Written by:
Jen Chang
Marketing & Communications Manager
UBC Botanical Garden