What to know
- A new 2026 Smart Traveller Survey found 74 per cent of Gen Z respondents plan to travel this year, compared with 54 per cent of boomers.
- About 87 per cent of Gen Z respondents were likely to participate in risky travel activities, with one in four saying they would try an extreme sport.
- Despite their higher appetite for travel risks, only about 40 per cent said they would purchase travel insurance before a trip.
- Nearly half of Gen Z respondents said they trust travel information on social media, raising concerns about a credibility gap in how young travellers prepare for health and financial risks abroad.
While data suggests younger generations are a major reason for recent travel booms out of Canada, a new study also found young people to be some of the least knowledgeable travellers when it comes to travel safety.
According to a survey by market research firm The Harris Poll Canada and the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada (THIA), 74 per cent of Gen Z participants polled plan to travel this year, compared to only 54 per cent of those at retirement age.
In the 2026 Smart Traveller Survey, data showed that about 87 per cent of the 436 Gen Z participants were most likely to partake in risky travel activities, and one in four said they would take part in an extreme sport while travelling.
The insurance organization says this could be concerning, especially since only 40 per cent of the same would opt to purchase travel insurance for their trips.
Additionally, data shows nearly half of Gen Z participants polled trusted travel information they found on social media, something THIA spokesperson Will McAleer said was not the best idea.
“Your ‘For You’ algorithm can be a starting point, but anyone planning to travel should understand what kind of health coverage they need or already have from their parents’ credit cards, group benefits plans,” he said, referring to the TikTok recommendation feed.
McAleer added that while social media can be informative, there’s still a gap for Gen Z travellers.
“There’s a concerning credibility gap in how the generation that’s most likely to travel is learning about protecting their physical and financial health while abroad.”
Methodology
The survey was run overnight on March 27th, 2026, with 1,527 randomly selected Canadian adults from various generations participating online.
The results were compared by age, gender, region, and education, as well as by language within Quebec. This was done to match the population to existing Census data. The study has an estimated margin of error of ±2.5 per cent, 19 out of 20 times. Any discrepancies are due to rounding up or down.
