Many Canadians are opting for alternative March ‘26 vacation destinations, say travel agents. This is due to unrest and violence that have disrupted tourism in some of the traditionally popular affordable destinations.
Travel agents in the Greater Toronto Area say that the economic and political uncertainty in Cuba, the fear of violence in Mexico, and the impact of a devastating hurricane in Jamaica have compelled many Canadians to change their vacation plans. Some Canadians are choosing to travel to new countries, while others are choosing to remain in their current location.
Cuba is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis triggered by shortages of fuel, food, and medicine. This was caused by the U.S. oil blockade, as President Donald Trump says that there may or may not be a friendly takeover of the island.
Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta recorded cartel violence last month. It stranded some Canadian visitors in the region for days. Meanwhile, parts of Jamaica are still reeling from October ‘25’s Hurricane Melissa, which caused significant damage to infrastructure and disrupted travel plans for many tourists.
Cuba and Mexico have long been favored destinations for Canadian travelers. This was especially so during the March break, said John Wood, the president of Durham Travel.
Wood added that with the current challenges faced by both countries, we noticed a shift in travel behavior amongst our clients, as many are now opting for alternative destinations or postponing their trips altogether.
Wood added that Durham Travel’s data reflects that Cuba trip reservations have declined by 86% this month when compared with a year before in March ’25. He went on to add that the company has also witnessed a decline of 15% in Mexico travel reservations.
Florida and the Dominican Republic are absorbing the bulk of the redirected traffic, as reservations to those destinations have increased by 163% and 142%, respectively, said Wood.
Wood added in a statement that European destinations like Greece and Portugal are emerging as new alternatives.
He added that, notably, clients tend to invest more in each reservation initiated at these replacement destinations. This was driving overall revenue up despite fewer total reservations.
