Introduction

Background

International Experience Canada (IEC) is a program managed by IRCC offering Canadian youth the opportunity to travel and work in one of over 30 partner countries and territories. Because it is a reciprocal program, foreign youth from partner countries/territories can do the same in Canada. The age limit and types of work permits available depend on the youth mobility arrangement negotiated with each partner country but for Canadians to qualify, they must be citizens resident in Canada between the ages of 18-35.

The IEC program has the mandate to maximize reciprocity between international youth participation and Canadian youth participation in the work-travel pathways negotiated with partner countries/territories, however, IEC officials believe participation in the program by Canadian youth is not as strong as it should be and is not reciprocal in terms of participants with almost all of our partner countries. IEC has a targeted stakeholder engagement and promotion plan in place, with the goal of increasing awareness of opportunities abroad, and increasing Canadian youth participation in the program.

This report provides insight into the travel and work abroad behaviours and attitudes of Canadian youth and parents and examines their perceptions and attitudes towards travel and work abroad experiences like those facilitated by IEC. Insights about perceived barriers and motivators to pursuing work abroad experiences, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, will inform policy and allow targeted engagement and promotion. The survey results will also be used to inform corporate performance reporting requirements (such as Performance Information Profiles and associated Performance Measurement Strategy Framework) for the IEC program.

Objectives

The objective of this research is to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted perceptions and willingness to travel among the IEC program’s target audience as well as parents of the target audience, who are likely influencers for youth. More specifically, the objectives of the research include measuring:

· previous travel and or work abroad experience (where, main objective of travel, duration, etc.)

· awareness of the IEC program

· motivations and barriers to participating in international work abroad experiences, such as those facilitated by the IEC program

· perceived benefits of travel or work abroad experience

Although both the quantitative and qualitative phases of this research contribute to these research objectives, the phases had distinct research goals:

The quantitative online survey was conducted to gather information from Canadian youth and parents of Canadian youth by gathering feedback on their previous international experiences, views on travel in general and in light of COVID-19, their views on the IEC program and future intentions regarding international experiences.

The qualitative online community was conducted to collect in-depth information from Canadian youth and parents of Canadian youth, with participants drawn from the quantitative survey sample. This research was done using an online community where participants were asked to provide detailed information about the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on them in general, and how it has affected their attitudes and expectations toward international travel post-pandemic. This information will be used to inform future communications about the IEC program and encourage participation. In addition to youth and parents in the general population, the qualitative research specifically included LGBTQ2+ youth, Indigenous youth, youth women in STEM and youth with mobility/hearing impairments in order to explore if and how their views differ on these topics.

About this report

This report begins with an executive summary outlining key findings and conclusions, followed by a detailed analysis of the qualitative results and the quantitative survey data. A detailed methodology section is provided in Appendix A. Provided under a separate cover is a detailed set of “banner tables” presenting the results for all questions by population segments as defined by region and demographics for the quantitative portion of the research. Results for the qualitative phase are included in the report as quotes from participants of the online community. The quantitative data tables are referenced by the survey question in the detailed analysis.

In this report, quantitative results are expressed as percentages unless otherwise noted. Results may not add to 100% due to rounding or multiple responses. Net results cited in the text may not exactly match individual results shown in the tables due to rounding. Qualitative results do not reference percentages or precise proportions to avoid any implication that results are projectable.

I. Detailed findings – Qualitative phase

A. Participant profile

Two online community bulletin boards were conducted with English and French speakers respectively. Each bulletin board included a sample of youth participants and parent participants. Quotas were implemented to achieve representation of the following groups among youth participants:

· LGBTQ2+ youth

· Indigenous youth

· Youth women in Stem

· Youth with mobility or hearing impairments

Table 1 summarizes the distribution of the youth participants by target quota group.

Table 1: Youth Participants

Target group	Total online community	English bulletin board	French bulletin board
General population	111	70	41
Youth with impairments	15	14	1
Indigenous Youth	9	8	1
LGBTQ2+ Youth	37	31	6
Youth Women in STEM	26	24	2
Youth Total	198	147	51

Tables 2 summarizes the distribution of the total sample, including youth and parent participants in the online bulletin board community.

Table 2: Total participants

Target Group	Total online community	English bulletin board	French bulletin board
Parent	43	28	15
Youth	198	147	51
Total	241	175	66

As an introductory exercise on day 1 of the online community, participants were asked to share something interesting about themselves:

· Participants often talk about their occupations or course of study in addition to describing their hobbies.

· Travelling is a popular hobby among participants. Outdoor activities and cooking or trying new food are also commonly mentioned hobbies.

· Parents who participated often talk about their children.

B. Pandemic Life and Adaptation

Participants were asked to describe how their lives (or children’s lives) have been affected by the pandemic. Across groups, participants mention both positive and negative sentiments in their responses, reflecting the ups and downs of adapting to life in the pandemic. Many indicate that they have adapted fairly well to their new normal.

“We’ve been cooped up inside the house since the pandemic began last March. It was tough at first, but we’ve gotten into a new routine that works for us and has now become our new normal.”

“When the pandemic started, I was really anxious. For 2-3 weeks I watched François Legault's lectures at 1:00 p.m. Over time, the anxiety decreased and I learned to enjoy telecommuting and spending more time with my family.”

“…The biggest impact the pandemic had on my life was between March and June 2020, when my daughter, who was 3 at the time, had to stay home, daycares were closed. Apart from that, and since then, we don't really feel it. My husband is teleworking and he appreciates this way of working. He does not wish to physically return to the office.”

Some youth participants note positive changes like becoming closer to family members (even if virtually), starting new hobbies, and saving money. Some say they enjoy having more time to focus on themselves and gained a greater appreciation for alone time.

“The pandemic has brought me closer to family in some ways, as my parents live in Nanaimo and are unable to visit, so we have weekly What's App video calls to stay in touch.”

“Positive is that I have been able to work from home, been able to help around the house more since my commute is very long to work, 1 hour one way. Saving lots of time and money…”

“It has also made me realize how much I do enjoy spending time on my own. I absolutely miss spending time with friends, going out and about, eating out in restaurants care-free, etc. but I have often enjoyed the chance to just chill at home guilt-free.”

Although youth participants feel like they have adapted to their new normal, there are still some on-going challenges. Most challenges revolve around social lives and mental health. Youth participants miss in-person social gatherings and sometimes feel confined. They miss their friends, family, and sometimes feel like they are missing out on the lives of their loved ones.

“I am thankful though that I have a job, I have a home, and I have not had any issues making ends meet. I am very privileged to have that. The social and personal health aspects though are hard some days.”

“The inability to go on any road trips or even attend gatherings of people with similar interests has really weighed heavily on me since it all began. I thought it wasn’t too bad in the beginning but the longer it’s lasted the more I seem to long for the world to resume “normality”.

“On the negative side, I find it very difficult not to be able to spend time with my family and watch my goddaughter grow up.

“Negatives are that I haven’t been able to do much, feels like a whole year has been wasted just being indoors.”

Some youth mention an increase in anxiety and describe symptoms of burnout, like feeling drained or exhausted.

“My pandemic started with some health issues: so, it was really hard to address that while being terrified of the healthcare system. Anxiety has been a constant issue as well, most certainly exacerbated by the pandemic and also work demands not relaxing while in a pandemic.”

“On the work side, considering that I am an essential service, I never stopped working, but it caused a lot of adaptation in connection with the stress of catching the covid since I was dealing with customers at home.”

“This has been a difficult time, and not being able to travel and have regular vacations has made staying motivated quite difficult, and overall life has been very draining.”

When parents describe how the pandemic has affected their children’s lives, their responses mirror the descriptions provided by the youth themselves. Overall, parents feel like their children are coping well. They are sympathetic about the monotonous schedules and restrictions caused by the pandemic. Most parents notice that their children sometimes find it difficult not being able to see their friends.

“At first, it was almost like a sense of freedom - no more scheduled events, no specific school timing or work, and they were able to be at home, still able to see and spend time with friends and family. Over time, the novelty wore off to some extent, especially when they were unable to socialize with close friends and extended family. Those scheduled extracurricular activities became missed and were a part of their social network that was unable to be replicated - those friends were missed, the activities were missed as well. School has become monotonous with all the restrictions and limited options (such as modified gym class, no field trips).

“Positive: He only has done online since March of last year. I am enjoy being able to help him and have the freedom to work from home. He is free to do more independent research. Negatives: lack of social outings clearly affect his moods and state of mind. He is even so desperate that he, a teenage boy speaks fondly of when we can travel together again.”

Some parents say they think their children have become depressed or anxious. Some parents feel like their children are getting too much screen time and not enough exercise.

“My eldest has been at home through most of the pandemic sitting in front of her computer, doing her classes and socializing online. She's getting very little exercise and is missing the live university experience (especially the unlimited use of their workshops and equipment).”

Those with children who were allowed to return to in-person classes or re-introduce extracurriculars into their schedules do not describe much of a change.

“…My high school kid is getting more social time than ever now that she's in school and still doing all her usual extra activities. For her the only difference is that time usually spent with her friends in their homes is now spent in separate homes in front of their computers but still lots of socializing and lots of long walks outdoors with friends talking.”

By this point, a year into the pandemic, many youth say they have adapted to the COVID-19 restrictions, by staying at home and limiting their trips outside the house, and when not at home, wearing masks and maintaining physical distance.

In terms of their everyday lives, key themes include creating new routines for themselves and developing strategies for keeping themselves busy and healthy (e.g., hobbies, connecting with friends/family, exercise, spending time outdoors). While many describe the ways they have adapted in a positive way, there is also acknowledgement that for many, both physical and mental health have been negatively affected.

There is also evidence of the K-shaped recovery that experts are forecasting. Some youth have lost their jobs or are working in more precarious positions (e.g., retail, courier services), and are attempting to reduce their expenses to alleviate financial stress. Others remain employed, working from home, and in some cases, have been able to save money.

“I try to ensure that I find a certain routine or stability every day so that I can stay positive and somewhat busy, especially since I have experienced unemployment during this pandemic. I make sure to go outside at least once per day for a walk.”

“Working from home 100% since March of last year. Have not had dinner with my parents in that long. Zoom calls here and there. More take out. More ups and downs.”

“I have somewhat gotten used to life indoors. I have Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ subscriptions that has kept me entertained. It is not sustainable though. I have gained about 10lbs and lack the motivation to diet and exercise.”

“I work and do school work from home which has negatively affected my progress and mental health.”

“I tried to keep my routine for the whole 8 months that I was laid off. I made sure to get up around the same time every day, I would go for a walk then I would try to get things done around the house to keep some kind of normalcy since I couldn’t go out. I still talked to friends and family often and we did things virtually, which really helped.”

“Working remotely has become the norm as well as monthly virtual calls with a group of friends. More time out for walks and more time inside reading and watching hockey has become common. The adaptation only goes so far as some days are still easier than others to get through.”

Among parents, there is a mix of opinions about whether their children have adapted well to the pandemic or not. Parents often emphasize the importance of a regular routine in helping their children adapt. There is also widespread concern about the lack of social interaction and the impact this is having on their children.

“They have adapted very well. But I will say a great deal of that adaptation came from us ensuring there was a schedule that they would still get up and get showered eat regularly and exercise. Also an established and regular bedtime.”

“She has a routine where she likes to take our dog for long walks, she has also taken up jogging/cycling to stay fit and active. She is thrilled to be back to school and physically seeing her friends (this has really helped with her mental wellbeing as she seemed depressed/bored at times at home).”

“Considering everything, not too badly. School is fine and she is able to exercise as we have a home gym. The lack of social contact has been the most negative aspect.”

“He has spent more time playing video games with his friends on online games. I don't love him spending so much time playing video games but I feel guilty because he misses his friends so much. Going to bed earlier because he is bored.”

“Most adaptations have been negative. His sleep cycles are inverted, and there has been a general downturn in health and well-being.”

Impacts on different aspects of life

To get participants thinking about different aspects of life, they answered some survey-style questions. The majority of youth in the discussion say the pandemic caused major changes in their life. Most participants say they do not live in a household with someone who is considered to be at high-risk for COVID-19 and few have someone who is close to them that passed away or became very ill from COVID-19. The responses of parents who participated mostly match the responses of the youth participants. Although the pandemic has caused most participants to change their daily lives, many are fortunate not to have had to deal with the loss of loved ones or take extra consideration for high-risk populations.

To get a sense of which aspects of youth life the pandemic affected the most, participants were asked to sort 10 different life aspects from the most impacted to the least impacted.

Most impacted areas: Social life and mental wellness

Youth feel like the pandemic affected their mental wellness and social lives more than other areas of their life, with these two items most often ranked as most impacted. Jobs and travel are two other areas that are frequently ranked high by youth.

Parents performed the same ranking exercise about their children’s lives, agreeing that social life has been most impacted. Parents also rank travel highly in terms of impact. However, compared to youth, parents place a greater emphasis on the extent that academics were impacted.

Least impacted areas: Academics and illness (COVID-19)

Despite switching to online school or a hybrid model, youth feel that the pandemic has affected their academics less than other areas of life. Many say the pandemic has not affected their academics at all, which might be indicative of maintaining academic performance despite adapting to online or hybrid learning models.

Youth and parents generally rank COVID-19 lower than other items, mirroring the early finding that few participants have felt the impact of the disease directly at home.

Parents are also more likely to say that their children’s jobs and personal finances have not been affected.

Additional areas: Participants were asked if there are any other areas of impact not on the list. Most participants feel the list is comprehensive. However, some youth say that dating and relationships, changes in household dynamics, and changes in housing situations were impacted areas that could have been included. Parents also feel the list is comprehensive, but a few suggest that their children’s outlook on life and confidence in the government were negatively impacted by the pandemic.

Pandemic and academic adaptation

Youth that are currently students were asked to describe how the pandemic has affected their academic lives, in positive or negative ways. Students who are attending online school generally have mixed opinions. They appreciate the flexibility and cost savings associated with online school, but they also feel like they are missing out socially. Some participants also feel like they are not getting the full benefit of their courses by attending online classes and some are struggling to stay motivated.

“My courses are online which is both good and bad, saving rent money and being able to watch recorded lectures is a good thing but not being taught in person and getting help is harder is a bad thing”

“My university has fully moved online, at times it was really hard to stay motivated or really take in the information. I feel like I am teaching myself which has made it hard to retain information. I feel like I was just completing assignments for because I had to, its hard to tell how much I am really learning. Positive, it has given me the flexibility to completes assignments at certain paces.”

“I’m unable to go to school in person to make important contacts and networking that will effect my future job prospects.”

Parents generally feel like their children have adapted well to online school or hybrid teaching models. Those with children of different ages note a different experience for students in grade school versus students in university. Some say that there has been a greater impact on students in university compared to students in grade school.

“For my son, the online courses were difficult at the beginning. The teaching style was different to what he was used to and so were his studying habits. But he has adapted and says the teachers have also improved. He's getting used to it. In my daughters case, university has also been difficult to adapt to for similar reasons. But what she is seeing is that some teachers don't make the effort or don't try to help students compared to what she's used to from high school.”

A few parents are concerned that their students are missing out on the ability to develop social skills at school because of the pandemic.

“First of all they’re not getting all of the hours that they would’ve been getting prior to Covid. The biggest impact was the fact that there was absolutely nothing social going on for them no classes no team sports no dances no parties nothing that would allow them to interact with other children their own age.”

“…grades continue to be consistent (very good), however the social interaction, the school community aspect is gone. Restricted movement, lack of options, all take away from what was a positive school environment…”

Pandemic and personal finances

When youth participants describe how the pandemic affected their personal finances, their answers are largely reflective of whether they work and if they can work remotely.

Those working essential, or in-person jobs often mention they earn less income because of reduced or shortened shifts. Some participants report job losses or a challenging job market.

“I’m a social worker who is viewed as an essential employee so getting a job has been easier but the hours are far less”

“I've had my hours cut from my in-person job as a retail salesperson but I've also found other opportunities by doing surveys such as this one…”

“I graduated and had to find a job in the middle of the pandemic and the pandemic certainly affected the job landscape and the economy so it was harder to find a job since there were less roles but more competition since people were being laid off etc.”

Those working from home often feel like the pandemic might have improved their financial situation by allowing them to save more and work more hours. Reduced or eliminated commutes tend to benefit these participants financially.

“Personal finances have remained steady during the pandemic. Luckily for us, we both have our jobs and have been able to work from home (saving on Go-Transit costs). This past year has really benefited us financially as overall we haven’t been spending as much.”

Conversely, a couple participants mention they are spending more because of online shopping.

“I've also realized that online shopping can be quite addicting and while I've stopped buying things now, I did spend quite a bit of money on new clothes.”

Parents often say there was no major financial impact on their children, especially if their children were not working before the pandemic.

“Neither of my children had jobs so that has not changed but they have been able to save a bit as many of their activities are on hold. “

“Yes, summer jobs were nonexistent but they both got the student CERB payments, so they were not disadvantaged financially. Furthermore, except for a few online purchases there was little to do and little to spend money on. So aside from the experience of a summer job and the social interactions that brings, financially there was no real impact.“

C. Travel Motivations and Barriers

Youth were asked about their pre-pandemic travel experience, while parents were asked about the experience of their child. Most had travelled outside of Canada in 2018 or 2019.

Reasons for travel

The top two reasons youth give for their pre-pandemic travel are vacation or visiting family and friends.

“I traveled to England during the Christmas/New Year periods of both 2018-2019, and 2019-2020 to spend time with my boyfriend and his family there. While in England, I've also travelled around in England and also in Europe a bit, going to Glasgow, Scotland and Vienna, Austria.”

“In 2019 I went to Croatia with a few friends to visit family. We were there for 9 days. Traveled around, ate great food and interacted with locals.”

Parents often describe their child’s pre-pandemic travel as a family vacation.

“Each summer we typically take a family vacation. 2018 we went to Paris and in 2019 we went on a Caribbean cruise. Our activities included zip lining, horseback riding, museums, Disney, wax museums, and wonderful dining and culture experiences.”

Other reasons for pre-pandemic travel include experiential learning (such as language courses), business or work-related travel, and trips to attend special events.

“In the summer of 2019, I spent five weeks in Oaxaca, Mexico doing a Spanish language course. I lived in Oaxaca, took classes during the week and explored Oaxaca city and traveled with fellow students in the evenings and on the weekends”

“In 2018 I worked in Tokyo, Japan for a year and a half, so I travelled all around Japan and parts of Asia for short trips from Japan. The short trips included Hong Kong and Singapore. In 2019 I also travelled to California for a wedding.”

Likelihood of post-pandemic travel

Youth were asked about their likelihood to travel or live overseas in the next three to five years when the pandemic ends (i.e., when the crisis is over and all pandemic-related travel restrictions have ended). Most youth say they are likely to travel, particularly those who say they travelled outside of Canada before the pandemic.

Youth who are likely to travel post-pandemic say they will do so because they enjoy travelling, are eager to travel again and want to make up for lost time and cancelled plans.

“I had originally planned on going on a prolonged trip either in Europe or southeast Asia or something right after graduation because that would've been the perfect time to go before I started on my career path and got a full-time job, but the pandemic hit and so I never got the chance. For this reason and because I haven't done much travelling so far but I want to, I will do so again once it is safe to.”

“Because I still want to see the world, and I think traveling calms the soul and provides different perspectives that are beneficial to our own learning.”

“As long as the places I'm visiting won't be at risk with me there, then I am comfortable going. I love to travel, whether it be of my own accord, or because of work. The pandemic is a somewhat rare situation, as I know it has happened before, but typically not more than one major one within a person's lifetime. I think it's important to know it could very well happen again soon, but it shouldn't act as a barrier or hindrance to anyone who truly loves to travel. It is the traveller’s responsibility to ensure they are never putting the lives of those at their destinations at risk, as well as themselves. Traveling is a big responsibility, but I am comfortable making responsible and respectful judgments.”

Most parents also anticipate their child will travel overseas once the pandemic is over.

Parents who believe their child will travel post-pandemic say they want to continue their custom of family vacations and want their children to have the kinds of experiences that are gained through travel.

“We will definitely start travelling as a family as soon as we can. We will also encourage our children to study abroad in an exchange context or part-time. We feel this is an important part of their education as well as their development.”

“We love to travel and looking forward to be able to do it again.”

Among those who don’t anticipate travelling overseas once the pandemic ends, both youth and parents point to three main reasons: lack of comfort due to the uncertainty around COVID-19 and its impact on travel; inability to afford it due to their financial situation; and a general lack of interest in travelling (unrelated to the pandemic).

“I likely won't do any travelling in the next year or two, and would only feel comfortable travelling to a place where the population is adequately vaccinated. I would also like to be fully vaccinated myself. I fear catching the virus and being far from home.”

“Currently I am saying unlikely as there are so many unknowns. I'm afraid there will be after effects of covid which will isolate her.”

“I don't feel safe traveling in confined spaces anymore.”

“It costs too much money. Unless our circumstances change in the next few years, I highly doubt that we will be able to travel overseas.”

Barriers to travel

Youth were asked how their intentions to travel have changed because of the pandemic. There are mixed views, with some saying they are more likely than before to travel, but more who say their intentions are unchanged or who are less likely to travel.

Parents perceive roughly the same impact from the pandemic on their children’s travel intentions: some say their child is more likely than before to travel, but more parents say their child is less likely to travel or that there has been no change.

Youth who are more motivated than before to travel say the pandemic restrictions have made them eager for the freedom and experience of travelling and motivated them to stop putting it off and take advantage when they can. Similarly, some parents sense the same desire from their children.

“Not being able to travel and being restricted has made me more eager to travel.”

“Because the past year has given the opportunity for us to slow down and not take things for granted. The goal is to be able to work hard but enjoy life at the same time so that we don't get stuck into the same routine of work and not enjoying the bounty of our hard work.”

“I’m more aware of how life can be changed at any instant and leaves me to want to create memories and achieve my goals while the option is still feasible.”

“I think being cooped up at home for over a year now has made my daughter even more eager to get out and explore the world once it is safe to do so. There is a feeling that she wants to make up for a lost summer last year (and possibly this year as well, as things are still somewhat up in the air).”

Youth who are less motivated than before to travel, and parents who anticipate this is the case for their children, point mainly to the lingering uncertainty and fears driven by the pandemic. This includes concerns about the impact of pandemic restrictions and safety measures on travel, the potential to get sick from COVID-19 while travelling, and the possibility of future pandemics or other infectious diseases. Some youth also mention being held back from travelling by financial constraints.

“I want to make sure the places we travel are safe to do so and before I wouldn’t have thought twice about a place as long as I wanted to go but now, I want to know their covid safety measures.”

“I don't know if I want to deal with the hassle now. Wearing masks on airplanes, getting rapid tests, etc, etc. Everything is such a process now it is almost more stress than just staying home.”

“The pandemic has created a sense of fear--we do not know who a carrier of the virus could be and taking an international flight and being in an enclosed space with strangers for a long amount of time is a scary situation. Then once in another country what are their health and safety measures like--will you be able to receive the appropriate care if you do contract the virus? How safe would it really be with the new variants that are surfacing and the potential resistance to the vaccines that are being given. It is a big risk to take.”

“I had initially planned to take a trip as a reward to myself for graduating, but now school has dragged on for so long and my finances are so precarious that it is no longer an option in the foreseeable future.”

Travel Considerations

Youth were asked the top five considerations that will go into their decision to travel or not travel when the pandemic is over. They identify a wide range of considerations, with safety at the top of the list. There are various aspects to how youth think about the safety of travel, many of which appear to be impacted by their experience of the pandemic:

· The pandemic response and rules/regulations in the destination country – Is the destination safe, clean and healthy; current number of COVID-19 cases and the presence of variants; how well the country has responded to the pandemic generally, and what are the current rules around things like masks and traveler quarantines; what are the health care standards and can travelers access quality medical care; border-related issues.

· Vaccination – many indicate they will not travel until they themselves are immunized, and would also consider the vaccination situation in the destination country (i.e., whether enough local residents have been immunized).

· Avoiding densely populated regions – some youth indicate they will choose their destination based on the size of the local population or the number of tourists, with the goal of avoiding crowds and allowing for better physical distancing.

· Insurance considerations – includes the availability of health insurance that is valid for the destination country, travel cancellation insurance if travel plans need to be changed due to illness or an outbreak, and help with repatriation (e.g., return flights) if needed.

· Airline protocols for safety and cleanliness.

· Canadian government position on travel – does the federal government say it’s safe to travel, generally or to the destination country.

· Political situation in the destination country and implications for personal safety, particularly for women and LGBTQ2+ youth.

Other non-safety related considerations include:

· Choice of destination – will the destination provide the desired experience, enjoyment or adventure? Also, is the country ready to receive tourists, is the infrastructure in place, and is tourism encouraged following the pandemic?

· Cost and financial means – how much will it cost, including flights and accommodation, and can they afford it?

· Time – how long a trip, and can they get the time off from work or school?

Parents have many of the same considerations in terms of the recommendations they will make to their child about travel. However, they tend to frame these considerations more in terms of life skills. For example, the need for their child to be responsible (e.g., with passports, visas and proof of vaccination, handling money); to do their research in advance; to be smart, careful and aware of their surroundings when travelling; and, to have a contingency plan and be prepared for anything. Notably, several also highlight the need for their child to stay connected, keep in touch and keep their parents informed (“check home daily for updates”).

D. Travel Timing

Day two of the online community focused on envisioning what travel might look like after the pandemic is over. This journey exercise began with predicting a time frame.

Predicted Timing

Participants were asked when they think it will be safe to travel internationally. Despite the many factors at play, most participants think it will take at least one year for travel to become safe again. Their answers typically reflect the anticipated timeline for mass vaccination and herd immunity. As a result, they expect that some countries will be safe for travel sooner than others.

“I predict in about a year, the Spring or Summer of 2022, it'll be completely safe to travel abroad.”

“Since it is a deadly virus and it is not consistent. As soon as restrictions are lifted, cases start to surge so I believe it will take some time to get back to normal. Fortunately, we now have vaccines available, and now it all depends on how soon everyone gets vaccinated. Once everyone gets vaccinated then only it will be safe to travel internationally, which I believe would take at least 1 yr from now.”

“I think the term "safe" is subjective and people have their own versions of risk and different tolerance levels. But in my eyes, I'd predict travel would be safe in about 2 or so years from now just based on the current knowledge and statistics related to COVID-19 and vaccinations.”

“I think it will become safe to travel to certain countries before others, mainly due to different speeds of vaccination in each country and different numbers of COVID-19 cases (with resulting restrictions).”

“It will most likely be a phased in approach….I see perhaps by this summer the Canada US border opening, flights to places like New Zealand and Israel starting to be safe (if they will have us!!), and progressing from there”

A few participants think international travel is already safe right now, depending on the country.

“Iceland has already announced it will open up to those who have been vaccinated, and I would expect the UK to open up for travel again this summer, with countries opening up progressively after that as soon as their population is vaccinated. Those countries that may not have been able to secure enough vaccines for their populations will likely not open up for at least a year from now.”

Signals of safe travel

Youth and parents were asked to describe what needs to happen before they feel safe travelling again. Answers from youth and parents are similar. Youth want to know that they are not exposing themselves to a higher risk of catching COVID-19 than if they stayed home, and parents will feel more comfortable knowing their children are in countries that have effectively lowered the risk of COVID-19. As a result, mass vaccination and low COVID-19 cases are the top responses among youth and parents.

“The number one change for travel to happen again is vaccination. I think as long as vaccination is not widespread and effective, travel will not be safe.”

“Cases need to come significantly down, and vaccination rates in countries need to get up to 80-90%.”

Some participants also say there needs to be a widespread trust in science and greater confidence in mass vaccination before it is safe to travel again.

“I think more knowledge translation needs to occur. I'm hearing many not accepting scientific-based evidence about COVID-19 and vaccinations, but rather grasping onto anecdotal evidence or poorly developed, but convincing and accessible, theories. I think there needs to be better uptake from the majority of the population before it's safe to travel again.”

Some participants simply need government authorization to start travel again.

“People will start traveling again as soon as possible and authorized by governments. Unsurprisingly, the first destinations will be those that do not require quarantine or high-cost testing.”

Others want to wait until tourist attractions are open again. They prefer to wait until there is some sense of normalcy so they can get the full experience and most value from their trip.

“The measures in place promote the feeling of security. However, there are still significant risks even if it is structured. For me, traveling is an experience and I'm not ready to put a lot of money into a trip where I won't be able to fully enjoy the destination and what I want to do there. For example, right now, if a famous museum is closed due to COVID, I would not pay to travel to a destination and not be able to do this activity there. I don't have a budget big enough to allow me to go back another time in my life.”

E. Destination

Most participants believe the pandemic has created an extra set of considerations for choosing a travel destination when the pandemic is over.

Youth participants think that countries with a better response to COVID-19 and better healthcare systems will become more desirable destinations, while countries that have been unable to reduce rates of COVID-19 will become less desirable.

“People might choose travel destinations with considerations of how the country handled the COVID situation and what their travel restrictions might be. I think people will still want to travel to the same places they did before but would also look at what changes were made due to COVID. For example, more restrictions, attractions closing, poor economic situations, etc.”

“There will almost definitely be ongoing considerations around countries that are considered 'safe' - how did they react to the crisis? what are their plans in case there is a resurgence? What restrictions do you need to abide by to go visiting?”

Travel requirements such as mandated quarantine, and the costs associated with these rules are another factor for short-term destinations.

“I think that ease of travel will be a major consideration - you don't want to go on vacation somewhere you have to sit in a hotel for two weeks in quarantine.”

“I see myself making sure to have a little more financially put aside before each trip as a 'trip emergency.”

Others believe that once the pandemic is over, people will choose the same travel destinations that they would have chosen before the pandemic.

“I think most people will have the same taste in destinations as they did previously, especially as they seek a sense of normalcy and attempt to recreate good memories from pre-pandemic days.”

“If covid cases go down and the variants aren't a problem, I don't think people will have any significant changes on where they want to travel.”

Parents have similar considerations when thinking about destinations they would feel comfortable sending their children to. Health standards, infection rates, and proportion of the destination’s population that is vaccinated are top considerations for parents when travel is safe again. Parents are more likely to mention contingency plans than youth participants.

“Hopefully [my daughter’s] first trip within the next 3 years will be with her family. We will choose a country that has excellent health care and one that she/we would feel safe. I would ensure that she/we have adequate insurance that would cover extra accommodation and living expenses.”

“One thing to consider is whether there are hot spots for outbreaks. It will also be important that any travel will be served by multiple airlines to be able to get home if necessary.”

A few participants think that even when travel is permitted, some people will remain cautious and prefer destinations with natural attractions over the typical tourist attractions.

“Travellers will remain jittery for the foreseeable future. They will monitor infection levels before booking, and will choose more nature-based holidays.”

Measures to reassure safety of travel destinations

Participants were presented with a list of four measures and asked to rate how much each would reassure them about a destination’s safety as a place to travel, using a scale from very reassuring to not at all reassuring.

1. Low positivity rates/low hospitalization for COVID-19: Both youth and parent participants find low rates of COVID-19 the most reassuring measure from the list. Nearly all youth and parents rate it at least somewhat reassuring.

“Low positivity rates in an area obviously means that the virus is somewhat gone in a particular area. That would be very reassuring to traveller.”

“…If a country still had high COVID rates, I would likely pick a different destination to travel to or stay home. I would not risk my health.”

2. Public health measures like enforced social distancing and masks: This is the second most reassuring measure for both youth and parents.

“I feel like once overseas travel is being promoted or accepted again, it would be reassuring to know that measures are still in place. Just because travel is open, I don't think this pandemic will be "totally over" when that happens. I think I'd feel more comfortable and more assured that protective measures are still in place to keep the spread "reasonably low".

“By containing to wear masks and hand wash/sanitize, the possibility of COVID19 returning to a pandemic state would be minimalized. It would also reduce other illness (ie: the common cold/flu - which travel through a plane easily). If people in general keep these practices, it would overall reduce some illnesses, and may prevent another type of pandemic in the future. We as a world, need to consider this going forward.”

Although youth and parents find public health measures reassuring, there are some who consider it to be a chore while on vacation and are not convinced that enough people will follow the rules.

“Places that show they’re taking things very serious make me feel better. Though I personally wouldn’t want to travel until I have been vaccinated. Another problem is just because the resort takes it seriously doesn’t mean all the guest will. It’s too many variables to feel even half safe.

Certain safety measures are acceptable but if they are too cumbersome and overbearing then travel becomes a chore versus a pleasure, similar to what it is like today when we go shopping. There are so many rules and restrictions that if those are carried over to travel then why bother.”

3. Quarantine for inbound travellers: Participants rate inbound quarantine as a somewhat reassuring measure. While the vast majority of youth think quarantine is at least somewhat reassuring, parents are somewhat less reassured by quarantine than youth. Since parents are more likely to think about travel in terms of a vacation, they are more likely to think about how the quarantine impacts their travel experience, rather than the effectiveness of quarantine itself. Parents often think a two-week quarantine defeats the purpose of going on vacation.

“…In terms of quarantine, it depends what/how long the quarantine requirements would be in terms of if that destination would be a place she would want to go. If, for example, there was a 2 week quarantine required, it would likely affect the likelihood of her choosing to travel to that locale.”

4. Absence of public health measures like enforced social distancing and masks: Participants find this the least reassuring measure. This is likely linked to the mixed perception of what the absence of public health measures means. A few participants are unsure whether the absence of public health measures is a good sign of safety or a sign that the destination is not taking control of the situation.

“I would not feel comfortable travelling to a place where the government or people didn't care about public health enough to enforce measures.”

“Absence of public health measures could mean that the country has handled COVID perfectly - but it could also mean a complete laissez-faire approach. None are particularly assuring or concerning in absence of context.”

Travel Deterrents

To understand which preventative measures make travel less desirable, participants were asked if any of the following options would deter them from visiting or living abroad:

1. Absence of public health measures: Youth are most deterred by the absence of public health measures. Although participants interpret absence of health measures as signals of different situations, most think they will feel unprotected if public health measures are not in place.

“The complete absence of public health measures is a sign, for me, that a country does not take the pandemic seriously. As such, it tells me that should another pandemic strike again in the future, this country would likely be unprepared (for a second time, if they were unprepared the first time)”

“Like mentioned, the absence of safety measures may be assuring in some ways (i.e. relaxed restrictions due to low positivity rates, low amounts of variants, low numbers of hospitalizations), but I'd still like to get a sense or feel that I'm protected from others/they are protected from me.”

“Public health measures indicate that the government is actively involved in reducing the spread and preventing the health system from being overwhelmed. I wouldn't want to travel anywhere where safety was not a major consideration.”

“A country that is doing nothing at all is very problematic. I don’t trust that people are washing their hands. Plus if a country doesn’t care about the people who inhabit their country then they care even less for visitors.”

2. Quarantine for inbound travellers: About half of the youth participants are deterred by quarantine for inbound travel. Since most participants are familiar with the two-week quarantine method, they are often concerned about the cost associated with it. Those who expect to be abroad for a longer time do not mind the two-week quarantine. Parents are more likely than youth to find inbound quarantine impractical, with many saying they would prefer not to travel if they had to quarantine.

“I feel like my budget and allocated vacation time won't permit me to stay quarantined in a hotel for 2 weeks. So I would be better off not travelling to the country altogether.”

“The current approach of 14 day quarantine and/or high cost isolation and possible refusal is a barrier that is too high for me and my family to cross.

“Inbound quarantining for a leisure trip in not practical, as it is too expensive and defeats the purpose of travelling, you can't go on a two week trip and quarantine for 10-14 days”

3. Public health measures: Since public health measures are a reassuring signal to most youth and parents, only a few say that public health measures would deter them from travelling because they think it will interfere with the enjoyment of their trip.

“It takes away from the human experience of travelling and causes people to be more distant one from the other. One of my favourite aspects of travelling is getting to encounter another culture and meet new people - discuss, learn from them, exchange...masks and social distancing would limit the possibility for this kind of experience.”

4. None: Very few participants feel that none of the listed options would deter them from travel.

Personal reassurance

When asked what would personally reassure them about travel, both youth and parents say they want proof that the country’s COVID-19 response is effective. High vaccination rates and low rates of positive COVID-19 cases are the top responses because most participants consider these statistics as evidence that their travel destination can effectively manage a pandemic.

“That their protocols have been proven to work, that there are 0 to low cases and that preventative measures have been enforced.”

“Very few to zero Covid cases- Knowing that the majority of the country has been vaccinated- Knowing that the culture values hygiene and sanitization as a whole, i.e. in hotels, restaurants, public washrooms.”

In addition to herd immunity, some participants also mention that easily accessible information would reassure them. They want to see that health measures are in place and it should be easy to find public health guidelines online and in multiple languages. There are also mentions that political stability and an inclusive healthcare system would be very reassuring. This information can make it easier for potential travellers to imagine themselves feeling safe and comfortable abroad.

“Information on the website of covid protocols in English. Or the place you are staying sends you an email in your language to make sure you know the protocols when you get there.

“Politicians in power who take science and public health seriously-- Effective and well-researched action to respond to public health crises-- An economy that does not leave elderly and marginalized people (i.e. people of colour, poor people) behind if a public health crisis strikes-- Strong public health guidelines for citizens and visitors.”

“It should be that the destination has a good health system and that it is easily accessible for a tourist. Also, another element is how to manage the pandemic in the country in question. If we forget the medical side of the pandemic, we must not forget that this situation causes other problems such as violence, poverty, job loss, etc. These are all elements which can make a people unstable and which can possibly be a danger.

“It depends on a lot of factors, but you have to be able to imagine yourself being there and feeling safe. At this point, it is very difficult to know what will be considered safe, in connection with COVID, in the "after". I imagine that feeling that the local authorities have the situation in the eye and that they have put in place measures in order to precisely measure the level of security of the place would make it possible to have indicators to be trusted in terms of "I feel safe there ".

F. Vision of Travel After the Pandemic

Youth share mixed views on how they envision travel after the pandemic. There is a spectrum ranging from those that foresee travel returning to normal (just as it was before the pandemic) to those that foresee COVID-related considerations staying in place, even after the pandemic.

Those who describe travel the way it was before the pandemic are hopeful that when travel is safe again, they can make up for lost time or cancelled plans. These participants rarely mention consideration of social distancing, public health guidelines, or wearing masks. They envision a travel experience that includes seeing tourist attractions, eating in restaurants, staying with family or even hostels and Airbnbs.

“I've always wanted to do the typical young person backpacking around Europe trip. Staying in hostels, riding on trains and taking cheap flights, not really having any plans, and hopping country to country as I met new people and learned about new things.”

Most participants fall into a middle ground, where they are not overly cautious, but still believe they need to consider public health when planning a trip. They mention travel to destinations they wanted to go to before the pandemic, but they are less likely to consider destinations that have been slower to decrease the number of COVID-19 cases. This group is likely to visit tourist attractions, eat at restaurants, and stay in hotels or single rooms but do not feel comfortable in shared accommodation like hostels. Depending on their comfort level, a few mention they will maintain some aspects of social distancing or wearing masks.

“In terms of choosing destination, will go to places they wanted to but focusing on the ones that handled the pandemic the best.”

“If this is after the pandemic, then Covid precautions don't really come into play. I would make a list of places I want to visit, and rule out which one I go to based on safety of covid.”

“I would still go about it as normal, but I would pick countries where I have family to visit but would avoid places with high numbers. I would still wear a mask – it’s normal in other countries like Southeast Asia. Will also keep some aspects of social distancing to maintain personal space, but I understand some people might not want to do that once restrictions are lifted.”

Others are more cautious and feel they will need to ease themselves back into travelling. This is a smaller group of participants and they are more likely to avoid large groups, visit natural scenery, and order take-out rather than dine at restaurants.

“I will choose a relatively close destination for my first post-pandemic international trip - that way, if something goes wrong, I'll be less stranded away from home. So I might look into transportation via car, and budget out the gas costs, and see if I can stay at a cabin out in a rural area, near some great hiking trails. It would be nice to decompress and get away from the hectic chaos of the pandemic by soaking up some natural scenery for a while - so I would like to hike and boat on this trip. I'll probably be eating from nearby restaurants, either via takeout or sit-in dining. I'll most likely be reassuring my family that things are safe enough to travel again, and when I come back, talk about whether COVID safety measures she still being implemented by the country - the staff, the visitors, and the locals.”

Similar to youth participants, most parents fall into the middle of the spectrum. Although parents are open to their children travelling again, the pandemic has added an extra layer of concern. Many parents mention they feel most comfortable with their children travelling to destinations with a low COVID-19 case history. Parents are more likely to mention health measures like social distancing and wearing masks because they want their children to exercise caution when travelling.

“If my child were to travel internationally within the next year or 2, I would insist that they go to a destination that has a high vaccination rate. I would make sure they plan to stay in a safe and clean monitored environment (hotel not hostels). I would be a bit nervous about them flying, but would insist that they wear their mask at all times (except to eat/drink). I would only support their travel to first world countries at this time. I would caution them about large crowds, and try to visit places at off peak times. I would help them plan a trip.”

“Once this pandemic is over and done with, my child would be open to travel anywhere in the world, I would encourage them to stay in a safe and clean hotel and only eat at clean and reputable establishments, they could continue to do the activities as they please, as there are no guarantees in life, he would continue to live his life as normal as possible and just stay away from places where there is possibility to get cross contaminated with any viruses etc., so probably no enclosed swimming pools etc.”

H. Subgroups of Interest

Pandemic life and adaptation

Youth in the subgroups of interest have had to make similar adjustments to the pandemic. They often describe their ‘new normal’ similarly to youth in the general population sample. Indigenous and LGBTQ2+ youth also identify mental wellness as the area of their life that has been most impacted by the pandemic, while youth with impairments often note that concerts and jobs are the areas of their life that have been most impacted. LGBTQ+ youth frequently describe the impact of the pandemic in terms of major changes and challenges, rather than adaptation.

Although most youth describe a similar experience adjusting to online school, academic adaptation for youth or parents of youth with disabilities or impairments sometimes come with greater challenges.

“My son has a disability and needs extra help at school. When the school shut down last year he tried to keep up online but it was extremely difficult for him, he became very frustrated. We tried to help out as much as possible with him but we both work full-time. Unfortunately most of last year was just lost. He is struggling now this year to catch up. As well he seems to have lost all desire to do any school work. He doesn't seem to care about homework, and he's scoring extremely low. The school is doing everything they can to help him but I feel like he is just depressed.”

Travel motivation and barriers

Like the youth participants as a whole, most of the youth in these sub-groups travelled outside of Canada between 2018 and 2019, with the exception of Indigenous youth who rarely report travelling. Regardless of past travel in 2018 and 2019, travel intentions among most sub-groups are high, with most saying they are likely to travel when the pandemic is over.

Some Indigenous youth say that the pandemic increased their desire to travel in the future.

“Not being able to travel and being restricted has made me more eager to travel.”

“I’m more aware of how life can be changed at any instant and leaves me to want to create memories and achieve my goals while the option is still feasible.”

In contrast to most youth, those with impairments often say the pandemic has made them less likely to travel.

“The pandemic has made me hyper-aware of viruses. I'm now a bit more paranoid. Even if we get this pandemic under control, who is to say there won't be another one just around the corner?”

“I and my mother have had many health issues in the past two years. We are especially vigilant during this pandemic to do everything we can to avoid COVID-19. I really hope this pandemic ends, and firmly, soon, but until there is an end that inspires confidence (e.g. evidence of effective vaccines that definitively protect against any and all strains), I would definitely not travel overseas, and at most allow myself very local car-only travel with a travelling porta-potty in our seat to limit stops.”

Those who are unlikely to travel list cost as the biggest barrier. Some participants also feel that the pandemic has increased pre-existing barriers or changed their conceptions about travelling.

“Costs too much money. Unless our circumstances change in the next few years, I highly doubt that we will be able to travel overseas.”

“Never felt very secure and safe before. Now with covid it brings if to another level.”

“I don’t really care to travel much, not before the pandemic or after.. but it really changes my views on how and where we will go.”

Attitudes toward reassuring measures and vision for post-pandemic travel are similar across youth groups. However, one difference is that Indigenous youth rate public health measures (i.e. social distancing, use of masks, etc.) as the most reassuring measure.

II. Detailed findings – Quantitative phase

A. Demographic profiles of respondents / children of respondents

Respondent Demographics (Youth and Parents)

The qualified respondents to the online survey are youth (age 18 to 35) and parents of Canadian citizens attending secondary and post-secondary education. In total, there were 2,500 youth and 1,004 parent respondents in the final sample.

Table 3: Survey participants’ gender

	Youth (n=2,500)	Parents (n=1,004)
Female	49%	48%
Male	50%	52%
Another gender	1%	0%
Prefer not to say	<1%	<1%

Table 4A: Youth survey participants’ age

	Youth (n=2,500)
18-24	38%
25-30	28%
31-35	34%

Table 4B: Parents survey participants’ age

	Parents (n=1,004)
36-40	10%
41-50	50%
51-60	34%
Over 60	5%

Table 5: Survey participants’ province

	Youth (n=2,500)	Parents (n=1,004)
NET: BC/Territories	13%	14%
Alberta	13%	11%
Manitoba / Saskatchewan	7%	6%
Ontario	39%	38%
Quebec	23%	23%
Atlantic Canada	6%	7%

Table 6: Survey participants born in Canada

	Youth (n=2,500)	Parents (n=1,004)
Yes	87%	75%
No	13%	25%

Table 7: Survey participants with immigrant parent(s)

	Youth (n=2,500)	Parents (n=1,004)
Yes, one parent	9%	9%
Yes, both parents	30%	26%
No	59%	64%
Prefer not to say	1%	1%

Table 8: Languages spoken by survey participants

	Youth (n=2,500)	Parents (n=1,004)
English	90%	87%
French	31%	30%
Other	10%	14%
Prefer not to say	<1%	1%

Table 9: Survey participants’ education level

	Youth (n=2,500)	Parents (n=1,004)
Elementary school or less	1%	<1%
Secondary school	12%	9%
Some post-secondary or current post-secondary student	15%	8%
College, vocational or trade school	23%	28%
Undergraduate university program	31%	27%
Graduate or professional university program	16%	27%
Prefer not to say	2%	1%

Table 10: Survey participants’ identity

	Youth (n=2,500)	Parents (n=1,004)
LGBTQ2+	12%	2%
Indigenous	4%	3%

Respondent Demographics (Youth Only)

The following tables outline demographic characteristics only asked of the youth sample (n = 2,500).

Table 11: Survey participants’ employment status

	Youth (n=2,500)
Employed full-time for pay (i.e. more than 30 hours per week)	53%
Employed part-time for pay	12%
Self-employed	4%
Unemployed, and currently seeking work	7%
Homemaker	3%
Student	17%
Other	2%
Prefer not to say	1%

Table 12: Survey participants’ physical impairment

	Youth (n=2,500)
Vision impairment or vision loss not easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses	4%
Hearing impairment or hearing loss that is a partial or total inability to hear	3%
Mobility impairment that impacts your ability to perform tasks that require motor control and coordination	3%
Other physical impairment not listed	1%
No physical impairment	86%
Prefer not to say	4%

Respondents’ Children Demographics (Parents Only)

Respondents from the parent sample (n = 1,004) were asked to provide details about their child (those with more than one eligible child were directed to consider just one of their children when responding). Demographic characteristics of the parent respondents’ children are outlined in the tables below.

Table 13: Participant’s child education currently attending

	Parents (n=1,004)
High school	73%
College/CEGEP	7%
Trade school	2%
University (undergraduate)	13%
University (post-graduate)	2%
Other	<1%
They are currently between secondary and postsecondary education	2%
Prefer not to say	<1%

Table 14: Participant’s child gender

	Parents (n=1,004)
Male	53%
Female	46%
Other	<1%
Prefer not to say	<1%

Table 15: Participant’s child age

	Parents (n=1,004)
< 15	19%
15-17	57%
18-24	20%
25-30	1%
31-35	<1%
Prefer not to say	4%

Table 16: Participant’s child identity

	Parents (n=1,004)
LGBTQ2+	6%
Indigenous	4%

Table 17: Participant’s child physical impairment

	Youth (n=2,500)
Hearing impairment or hearing loss that is a partial or total inability to hear	1%
Mobility impairment that impacts their ability to perform tasks that require motor control and coordination	1%
Vision impairment or vision loss not easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses	3%
Other physical impairment not listed	2%
No physical impairment	91%
Prefer not to say	2%

B. Travel Style and Behaviour (Youth)

Past Travel Experience

Four in ten (41%) report travelling for work, study, or volunteering at some point; of these about half (48%) say they obtained a visa for this purpose.

While leisure or business travel is common among Canadian youth (86% report taking at least one such trip in their lifetime), international travel is far less common for work (27% at least one trip), study (24%), or volunteering (17%). Looking at work, study, and volunteering together, 41% of youth report doing one of these at some point in their lifetime.

Few youth with international experience say they obtained a visa for work (32%), study (27%), or volunteering (15%); a total of 48% have obtained a visa. These travel experiences were most often self-arranged (37%), through school (29%), or with an employer (19%).

Table 18: Travel for leisure/business/work/study/volunteering (% reporting at least one lifetime trip)
Question 3: How many times have you done any of the following activities outside Canada in your lifetime? Travel for…

	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
Leisure or business	86%	82%	86%	88%	86%	84%
Work	27%	18%	28%	37%	37%	18%
Study	24%	25%	21%	25%	27%	21%
Volunteering	17%	18%	15%	16%	14%	19%
NET: Travelled for work, study, volunteering	41%	35%	41%	49%	47%	35%

Table 19: Travel for leisure/business/work/study/volunteering (mean # of lifetime trips)
Question 3: How many times have you done any of the following activities outside Canada in your lifetime? Travel for…

	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
Leisure or business	11.7	8.6	11.6	15.3	11.8	11.5
Work	2.3	1.5	1.8	3.6	3.4	1.1
Study	1.2	1.8	0.6	1.1	1.8	0.7
Volunteering	0.8	0.9	0.6	0.9	1.1	0.5

Table 20: Visa/work permit for each type of travel
Question 6: Did you obtain a visa or permit to work, study or volunteer outside of Canada?
Subgroup: Those who worked / studied / volunteered in Question 3 (n = 1,020).

	Overall (n=1,020)	18-24 (n=179)	25-30 (n=358)	31-35 (n=483)	Male (n=430)	Female (n=574)
Work	32%	30%	31%	33%	40%	20%
Study	27%	32%	21%	26%	29%	23%
Volunteer	15%	22%	12%	11%	16%	13%
Total Obtained Visa	48%	52%	45%	48%	53%	41%

Table 21: Visa/work permit for each type of travel
Question 6: Did you obtain a visa or permit to work, study or volunteer outside of Canada?
Base: All youth respondents (n = 2,500).

	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=904)	31-35 (n=1046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
Work	13%	11%	13%	16%	19%	7%
Study	11%	11%	9%	13%	14%	8%
Volunteer	6%	8%	5%	5%	7%	5%
Total Obtained Visa	20%	18%	18%	23%	25%	15%

Table 22: Travel arrangements
Question 8: How did you arrange your international experience?
Subgroup: Those who worked / studied / volunteered in Question 3 (n = 1,020).

	Overall (n=1,020)	18-24 (n=179)	25-30 (n=358)	31-35 (n=483)	Male (n=430)	Female (n=574)
Self-arranged	37%	32%	40%	39%	40%	33%
Through school	29%	42%	24%	21%	22%	36%
Employer	19%	12%	20%	25%	25%	12%
Travel or adventure company	6%	6%	6%	5%	6%	4%
Non-profit organization	3%	2%	4%	4%	2%	6%
Government program	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%
Other	3%	3%	2%	3%	2%	4%
Prefer not to say	2%	3%	3%	1%	2%	3%

Past International Travel Benefits and Challenges

Learning about a new culture, adventure, and personal growth are the benefits mentioned most by youth travellers; language barriers and culture shock are considered the greatest challenges. While only half have specifically included their experience on a resume, six in ten say they are eager to highlight their experience for prospective employers.

Among Canadian youth who have travelled internationally for work, study, or volunteering, most say that the key benefits of their experience are learning about a new country or culture (81%), exploration and adventure (72%), and personal growth (62%).

Language (42%) and career skills (40%) are each mentioned somewhat less often as travel benefits; further to that, only half of these youth travellers (53%) say they have listed their international experience on their resume. The most common reason for excluding this information is relevance or importance to the specific job applied for (36%). Other reasons for not mentioning this experience on a resume include just not getting to it yet (12%) and simply not thinking the experience was worth noting (11%).

Most Canadian youth who travelled for work, study, or volunteering agree that they are eager to highlight that experience to potential employers (63%) and that they feel the experience improved their job prospects (51%). Less than half (43%) say they have been asked about this experience directly by an employer.

Asked to consider the challenges they faced while travelling, these youth travellers most often mention language barriers (54%). Other common challenges include culture shock (38%), safety and security concerns (32%), and financial issues (29%).

Table 23: Key benefits of travel
Question 4: What would you say are the key benefits you gained from your work, study or volunteer experiences outside of Canada?
Subgroup: Those who worked / studied / volunteered in Question 3 (n = 1,020).

	Overall (n=1,020)	18-24 (n=179)	25-30 (n=358)	31-35 (n=483)	Male (n=430)	Female (n=574)
Learned about a new country or culture	81%	80%	80%	83%	78%	86%
Exploration and adventure	72%	68%	73%	75%	65%	81%
International travel experience that contributed toward my personal growth	62%	55%	59%	68%	54%	71%
Learned or improved a secondary language	43%	45%	42%	43%	43%	43%
Obtained international career experience or professional development	40%	37%	38%	44%	42%	37%
Other	2%	0%	3%	4%	2%	3%
Not applicable	4%	5%	4%	3%	4%	4%

Table 24: Included international experience on resume
Question 24: Have you included your international work or volunteer experience on your resume after returning to Canada?
Subgroup: Those who worked / studied / volunteered in Question 3 (n = 1,020).

	Overall (n=1,020)	18-24 (n=179)	25-30 (n=358)	31-35 (n=483)	Male (n=430)	Female (n=574)
Yes	53%	53%	52%	54%	52%	53%
No	43%	41%	44%	43%	43%	43%
Not sure	4%	6%	4%	3%	5%	3%

Table 25: Reasons for not including international experience on resume
Question 25: For what reason have you not included this experience on your resume?
Subgroup: Those who did not include international experience on resume (n = 422).

	Overall (n=433)	18-24 (n=71)	25-30 (n=159)	31-35 (n=203)	Male (n=184)	Female (n=245)
Didn't think it was relevant/important to the job I was applying for	36%	39%	37%	34%	30%	45%
Still working for the same employer/it was part of my work/haven't needed to update my CV yet	12%	5%	13%	16%	15%	8%
Not valid experience at the time/not worth noting/didn't do much for me	11%	13%	12%	9%	14%	7%
Trip was mainly for leisure/didn't work or volunteer abroad	8%	10%	9%	6%	7%	9%
Didn't think of it/didn't want to/didn't know I could	7%	7%	7%	6%	7%	5%
It was a very short trip	6%	4%	7%	7%	3%	9%
Was a learning trip during high school/university/it was for study not work	5%	4%	5%	6%	4%	6%
It was long time ago	4%	1%	4%	5%	2%	5%
Informal experience	<1%	0%	0%	1%	0%	1%
Other	7%	10%	4%	7%	9%	4%
No specific reason	2%	3%		4%	3%	1%
Don’t know	8%	10%	8%	6%	9%	7%

Table 26: Agreement with statements about international travel
Question 26: How much do you agree with the following statements?
Subgroup: Those who worked / studied / volunteered in Question 3 (n = 1,020).

Top 2 Box (Strongly or somewhat agree)	Overall (n=1,020)	18-24 (n=179)	25-30 (n=358)	31-35 (n=483)	Male (n=430)	Female (n=574)
I am eager to highlight my international experience to potential employers	63%	72%	60%	57%	66%	58%
I feel that my international experience improved my job prospects upon returning to Canada	51%	50%	51%	52%	56%	43%
Potential employers ask about my international experience	43%	43%	43%	43%	47%	38%

Table 27: Key challenges of travel
Question 5: What would you say are the key challenges you faced during your work, study or volunteer experiences outside of Canada?
Subgroup: Those who worked / studied / volunteered in Question 3 (n = 1,020).

	Overall (n=1,020)	18-24 (n=179)	25-30 (n=358)	31-35 (n=483)	Male (n=430)	Female (n=574)
Encountering a language barrier	54%	54%	53%	55%	52%	57%
Challenges with country customs and laws, cultural norms or cultural shock	38%	37%	38%	38%	39%	36%
Feeling safe or secure (ex. concerns about personal safety, and/or racial, religious, or sexual orientation/gender discrimination)	32%	35%	30%	30%	29%	34%
Financial issues funding my travel experience	29%	31%	32%	26%	31%	26%
Isolation or loneliness	28%	28%	28%	27%	30%	25%
Challenges with travel, residency or employment documents/permits	21%	19%	20%	24%	23%	19%
Impact on my obligations back in Canada (family, children or career)	19%	18%	16%	22%	22%	15%
Challenges finding employment outside of Canada	14%	14%	13%	15%	18%	9%
I did not know how to get started	8%	10%	3%	8%	9%	6%
Other	1%	1%	2%	1%	1%	2%
Not applicable	12%	11%	13%	12%	12%	13%

C. Work Abroad and Awareness of IEC (Youth)

Past Participation in IEC

About one in ten youth say they have participated in the IEC program; about two-thirds did so using the open work permit option. Satisfaction with IEC is very high among past participants at 84 percent; similarly, eight in ten say they would promote the program to friends and family.

Just 9 percent of all Canadian youth say they have participated specifically in the IEC program, while 10 percent report participating in another mobility program like IYIP or IAYA. Australia is the most common IEC destination, with one in four (23%) IEC participants saying they visited this country. Other top mentions include the United Kingdom (16%), France (16%), and Germany (13%). Most IEC participants (68%) travelled on an open work permit, rather than an employer-specific permit (21%).

Satisfaction with the IEC program is quite strong, with a majority of participants saying they are very or somewhat satisfied (84%). Asked to elaborate, four in ten (among those satisfied) say that IEC was simply a great personal experience (37%); earning money (10%) and learning (10%) round out the top three reasons for satisfaction with the program.

Likelihood to recommend the program is also high, with 80 percent of past participants very or somewhat likely to recommend IEC to a friend or family member.

Table 28: Past participation in IEC
Question 9: Have you ever participated in the International Experience Canada (IEC) program, which provides Canadian youth facilitated access to a work permit in 36 different countries and territories?

	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
Yes	9%	9%	11%	8%	13%	5%
No	87%	86%	85%	89%	82%	92%
Not sure	4%	5%	4%	3%	5%	3%

Table 29: Participation in other Canadian youth mobility programs
Question 9B: Have you ever travelled abroad using another Canadian youth mobility program such as the International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) or the International Aboriginal Youth Internships (IAYI)??

	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
Yes - International Youth Internship Program (IYIP)	7%	8%	7%	6%	10%	3%
Yes - International Aboriginal Youth Internships (IAYI)	2%	2%	2%	1%	3%	0%
Yes - Other	1%	0%	1%	1%	0%	1%
No	87%	85%	87%	90%	81%	93%
Not sure	3%	4%	4%	2%	5%	2%

Table 30: IEC countries visited
Question 10: Which International Experience Canada partner country(ies) did you go to?
Subgroup: Those who have participated in IEC (n = 204)

	Overall (n=204)	18-24 (n=33)	25-30 (n=93)	31-35 (n=78)	Male (n=114)	Female (n=87)
Australia	23%	25%	25%	19%	23%	21%
United Kingdom	16%	9%	18%	23%	15%	20%
France	16%	22%	10%	16%	18%	11%
Germany	13%	10%	11%	18%	15%	8%
Belgium	10%	15%	6%	10%	11%	8%
Costa Rica	9%	4%	14%	10%	10%	9%
Hong Kong	9%	9%	8%	10%	11%	4%
Italy	9%	9%	6%	12%	8%	11%
Spain	8%	7%	6%	10%	8%	5%
Chile	7%	5%	7%	11%	10%	1%
Denmark	7%	10%	5%	5%	7%	6%
Japan	6%	8%	5%	6%	8%	4%
Mexico	6%	0%	13%	7%	6%	8%
Republic of Korea	6%	9%	5%	4%	8%	1%
Netherlands	5%	7%	3%	6%	6%	5%
Croatia	5%	0%	7%	10%	6%	4%
Ireland	5%	0%	5%	11%	7%	2%
New Zealand	5%	0%	8%	8%	4%	5%
Austria	5%	3%	6%	6%	5%	4%
Greece	5%	3%	8%	4%	6%	2%
Latvia	4%	5%	1%	6%	5%	1%
Switzerland	4%	5%	3%	4%	4%	3%
Czech Republic	4%	0%	4%	7%	4%	4%
Portugal	3%	0%	6%	5%	3%	4%
Sweden	3%	0%	6%	3%	3%	4%
Norway	2%	0%	1%	7%	3%	2%
Estonia	2%	0%	2%	6%	2%	2%
Ukraine	2%	0%	1%	6%	2%	3%
Taiwan	2%	0%	2%	4%	2%	2%
Slovakia	2%	0%	0%	5%	2%	0%
Slovenia	2%	0%	1%	4%	2%	1%
Luxembourg	1%	0%	2%	3%	1%	2%
Lithuania	1%	0%	2%	3%	2%	1%
Andorra	1%	0%	2%	3%	2%	0%
Poland	1%	0%	1%	4%	1%	2%
San Marino	1%	0%	0%	4%	2%	0%
None of the above	9%	7%	9%	11%	9%	11%

Table 31: IEC Travel Stream
Question 17A: What International Experience Canada stream did you travel through?
Subgroup: Those who have participated in IEC (n = 204)

	Overall (n=204)	18-24 (n=33)	25-30 (n=93)	31-35 (n=78)	Male (n=114)	Female (n=87)
Open work permit	68%	66%	70%	68%	71%	62%
Employer-Specific Work Permit (pre-arranged contract of employment was required)	21%	23%	21%	18%	20%	24%
Do not know	11%	10%	9%	14%	9%	14%

Table 32: IEC satisfaction rating
Question 21: To what extent were you satisfied or dissatisfied with your work and travel abroad experience via the International Experience Canada program?
Subgroup: Those who have participated in IEC (n = 204)

	Overall (n=204)	18-24 (n=33)	25-30 (n=93)	31-35 (n=78)	Male (n=114)	Female (n=87)
Net: Satisfied	84%	89%	77%	84%	86%	77%
Very satisfied	41%	31%	44%	51%	41%	40%
Somewhat satisfied	42%	58%	34%	33%	44%	37%
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	12%	10%	17%	10%	12%	13%
Somewhat dissatisfied	1%	1%	1%	1%	0%	4%
Very dissatisfied	<1%	0%	1%	0%	0%	1%
Do not know	3%	0%	5%	5%	2%	6%

Table 33: IEC satisfaction rating reasons
Question 22: Why do you say that?
Subgroup: Those who have participated in IEC and were satisfied with it (n = 163)

	Overall (n=163)	18-24 (n=29)	25-30 (n=70)	31-35 (n=64)	Male (n=96)	Female (n=64)
Great experience/ personal growth	37%	30%	39%	46%	32%	50%
Was able to work and earn money	10%	10%	2%	17%	12%	2%
Good program to learn	10%	7%	10%	12%	10%	8%
Ability to travel/see new places/meet people	8%	3%	6%	17%	7%	14%
Everything was set up/arranged professionally	7%	9%	5%	6%	7%	8%
It was fun experience	5%	3%	5%	8%	3%	10%
Easy process/ good support	5%	0%	8%	8%	5%	4%
It was okay/could have been better	3%	5%	3%	1%	4%	3%
Some negative sides (e.g. Complex Process)	2%	0%	7%	0%	2%	4%
It was difficult to find a job	2%	4%	0%	0%	2%	0%
To improve a second language	<1%	0%	1%	0%	0%	1%
Other	7%	6%	7%	9%	7%	8%
No reason/my thoughts/just do	9%	16%	6%	3%	10%	4%
Not sure	9%	13%	7%	4%	9%	9%

Table 34: IEC satisfaction rating reasons
Question 22: Why do you say that?
Subgroup: Those who have participated in IEC and were dissatisfied with it or neutral (n = 32)

	Overall (n=32)
Some negative sides (e.g. Complex Process)	22%
Ability to travel/see new places/meet people	8%
It was okay/could have been better	7%
Easy process/ good support	5%
Great experience/ personal growth	5%
Didn't stay for long	4%
Everything was set up/arranged professionally	2%
Was able to work and earn money	2%
Other	14%
No reason/my thoughts/just do	19%
Not sure	13%

Table 35: IEC recommendation rating
Question 23: To what extent are you likely or unlikely to recommend an international working abroad experience such as International Experience Canada to family or friends?
Subgroup: Those who have participated in IEC (n = 204)

	Overall (n=204)	18-24 (n=33)	25-30 (n=93)	31-35 (n=78)	Male (n=114)	Female (n=87)
Net: Likely	80%	73%	80%	86%	81%	74%
Very likely	41%	39%	37%	48%	41%	39%
Somewhat likely	38%	35%	43%	38%	40%	35%
Neither likely nor unlikely	16%	25%	14%	9%	15%	20%
Somewhat unlikely	2%	2%	2%	2%	1%	4%
Very unlikely	<1%	0%	1%	0%	0%	1%
Do not know	2%	0%	3%	3%	2%	2%

Awareness of IEC (Among all Canadian Youth)

General awareness of the IEC program is limited among Canadian youth, who mainly learn about the program from friends and family or general internet searches. About one in three say they would be interested in learning more about the program, and suggest that the internet, school resources, or word of mouth are their preferred channels.

Among all youth, awareness of IEC is limited; just 3 percent say they know the program well, and 7 percent say they know a fair amount about IEC. Another 13 percent claim to know a little bit about it. Friends and family are the most common source of information for those who know about IEC (37%). Other common sources include general internet searches (28%), school resources (17%), and general social media (15%). While 13 percent mention the IEC website specifically, a total of 22% mention hearing about it through an IEC channel including web, social media, or an in-person session or fair.

Of those youth who were not previously aware of IEC, one third (31%) indicate an interest in learning more. Among those interested, most would prefer to learn about it through a general internet search (52%). Other preferred channels include school resources (33%) and friends and family (26%).

Table 36: IEC Awareness
Question 17B: Before taking this survey, to what extent were you aware or unaware of the International Experience Canada program?

	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
Know the program well	3%	3%	5%	4%	5%	2%
Know a fair amount about the program	7%	8%	7%	7%	10%	5%
Know a little bit about the program	13%	14%	14%	12%	14%	12%
Only know the name	11%	11%	11%	10%	10%	11%
Never heard of it	62%	62%	60%	65%	57%	68%
Do not know	3%	3%	3%	3%	3%	3%

Table 37: How they became aware of IEC
Question 18: How did you become aware of the International Experience Canada program?
Subgroup: Those aware of IEC program (n = 830).

	Overall (n=830)	18-24 (n=178)	25-30 (n=322)	31-35 (n=330)	Male (n=343)	Female (n=478)
From my friends and family	37%	33%	33%	45%	34%	41%
General internet search	28%	30%	29%	26%	32%	24%
NET: IRCC / IEC Source	22%	23%	24%	21%	27%	17%
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website (Canada.ca/iec)	13%	11%	15%	13%	15%	10%
International Experience Canada Abroad Facebook account: @CanadiansAbroadIEC	9%	11%	8%	7%	11%	5%
International Experience Canada Abroad Instagram account: @iec_abroad	6%	6%	7%	6%	8%	4%
International Experience Canada information seminar/session/fair (please specify which seminar/session/fair)	1%	2%	0%	1%	1%	1%
Academic institution/School campus	17%	18%	13%	17%	14%	20%
Person/group I follow on social media	15%	19%	13%	12%	19%	10%
Through my work	12%	10%	12%	13%	15%	7%
From a news agency (in print or online)	10%	10%	11%	9%	13%	5%
Through a Recognized Organization (AIESEC, SWAP, etc.)	7%	6%	8%	8%	10%	4%
Specific websites I visit (please specify which website(s))	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%	1%
Other	2%	3%	2%	1%	2%	3%
Do not know	7%	5%	6%	10%	6%	7%

Table 38: Like to receive information about IEC
Question 19: Would you like to receive information about the International Experience Canada Program?
Subgroup: Those who have never heard of IEC (n = 1,670)

	Overall (n=1,670)	18-24 (n=372)	25-30 (n=582)	31-35 (n=716)	Male (n=518)	Female (n=1,133)
Yes	31%	40%	27%	25%	31%	31%
No	52%	43%	53%	60%	53%	51%
Not sure	17%	17%	19%	16%	17%	18%

Table 39: Preference to receive information about IEC
Question 20: How would you prefer to receive information about the International Experience Canada program?
Subgroup: Those who have never heard of IEC and are interested in receiving information about it (n = 779)

	Overall (n=779)	18-24 (n=216)	25-30 (n=277)	31-35 (n=286)	Male (n=234)	Female (n=533)
General internet search	52%	56%	47%	50%	52%	51%
Academic institution/School campus	33%	46%	22%	24%	27%	39%
From my friends and family	26%	29%	25%	22%	24%	28%
Through my work	20%	18%	19%	23%	21%	19%
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website (Canada.ca/iec)	17%	14%	20%	20%	16%	19%
International Experience Canada Abroad Facebook account: @CanadiansAbroadIEC	16%	18%	14%	15%	14%	18%
International Experience Canada Abroad Instagram account: @iec_abroad	16%	19%	13%	13%	11%	19%
International Experience Canada information seminar/session/fair	15%	18%	14%	12%	10%	19%
Through a recognized organization (AIESEC, SWAP, etc.)	15%	16%	11%	17%	10%	20%
From a news agency (in print or online)	15%	13%	16%	16%	15%	14%
Person/group I follow on social media	14%	15%	15%	11%	11%	16%
Specific websites I visit	2%	2%	1%	1%	2%	2%
Other	3%	3%	2%	4%	1%	5%
Do not know	13%	12%	15%	13%	16%	11%

D. Motivations and Barriers to Work, Study or Volunteer Outside of Canada (Youth)

Impact of COVID-19 on Travel Attitudes

Interest in post-pandemic international travel is fairly strong among youth; most say they are likely to travel outside of Canada before they turn 35. While most Canadian youth are generally mindful of safety issues around COVID-19 and most say that vaccination will make them feel more comfortable about travelling (58%), an equal proportion say that being restricted for so long has made them more likely to travel internationally in the future (58%).

Canadian youth are keen to travel when the pandemic is over, with three-quarters (75%) very or somewhat likely to pursue international travel for leisure or business before they turn 36. One third (35%) say they are likely to travel specifically to work in another country, and one in five intend to travel abroad for study (21%) or to volunteer (21%).

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, six in ten Canadian youth agree that they will feel comfortable travelling once they are vaccinated (58% strongly or somewhat agree) and that they are more likely to travel because pandemic restrictions have made travel difficult for so long (58%). Just over half agree that they won’t feel comfortable living in another country until the pandemic is over (53%). About four in ten agree that there are places in the world they would no long consider living in (40%) and a similar proportion say they are simply less likely to live outside of Canada in the future (38%).

Table 40: Likely to travel when pandemic is over
Question 11: When the crisis is over and all pandemic-related travel restrictions have ended, how likely are you to do any of the following activities outside of Canada in the future before you turn 36?

Net: Very or somewhat likely	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
Travel for leisure or business	75%	78%	77%	70%	74%	76%
Work	35%	45%	31%	26%	40%	29%
Volunteer	21%	30%	18%	14%	21%	21%
Study	21%	32%	17%	12%	22%	19%

Table 41: Agreement with statements about travel
Question 12: Having experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, how much do you agree with each of the following statements?

Net: Strongly or somewhat agree	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
I will feel comfortable travelling internationally once I have been vaccinated	58%	55%	60%	61%	57%	59%
I am more likely to travel internationally when it is possible because travel restrictions have made it difficult to travel for so long	58%	58%	59%	58%	59%	57%
I won’t feel comfortable living in another country until their COVID-19 rates approaches zero	53%	56%	52%	51%	51%	56%
There are places in the world where I would no longer consider living in case there is another pandemic	40%	39%	39%	43%	42%	39%
The pandemic has made me less likely to live outside Canada in the future	38%	35%	40%	39%	39%	37%

Future Travel Motivations and Barriers for Canadian Youth

Opportunity for adventure and learning about a new culture are the top travel motivators for Canadian youth. Financial concerns, personal obligations, and language barriers are the reasons against travelling that youth mention most often. About one in three (31%) say they are likely to participate in IEC or a similar international program in the future.

Thinking more broadly about what would motivate them to travel for work, study, or volunteer experiences, Canadian youth widely agree that they are motivated by exploration and adventure (83%) and learning about a new country or culture (82%). Personal growth (70%) and improving secondary language skills (65%) are also strong motivators. International career experience and professional development is seen as a motivator for a slight majority of youth (55%).

Financial issues, language barriers, and obligations at home are the most common barriers to travel for Canadian youth, with about six in ten saying they strongly or somewhat agree that these issues would prevent them from travelling for work, study, or volunteering opportunities. Just over half of youth agree that they simply don’t know how to get started (54%) and that they will encounter difficulty finding employment outside of Canada (52%).

Specifically considering IEC or other programs like it, one in three Canadian youth (31%) say they are somewhat or very likely to participate in an international program in the future. Among the youth likely to pursue it, common reasons in favour of an international mobility program like IEC include positive impressions of this type of experience (21%), the chance to explore new culture (19%), and general interest in travel (15%). Among those who say they are neither likely nor unlikely to pursue an international experience (22% of youth), uncertainty or lack of interest is the top reason offered (22%), followed by a need for more information (13%) and general life stage or family barriers (13%). Four in ten youth (41%) say they are not interested in an international mobility program; for these youth, lack of interest (35%), life stage concerns (32%), and practical concerns around career, finances, securing a visa, or safety (22%) are the primary barriers mentioned.

Table 42: Travel motivations
Question 13: Thinking about what motivates you to work, study or volunteer outside of Canada, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Net: Strongly or somewhat agree	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
Exploration and adventure	83%	83%	84%	84%	80%	87%
Learning about a new country or culture	82%	84%	80%	81%	78%	86%
Pursuing international travel experiences that contribute toward my personal growth (ex. increased confidence, adaptability or self-awareness)	70%	75%	68%	68%	68%	72%
Learning or improving a secondary language	65%	69%	65%	61%	63%	67%
Obtaining international career experience or professional development	55%	63%	50%	49%	56%	53%

Table 43: Travel barriers
Question 15: Thinking about what prevents you from working, studying or volunteering outside of Canada, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Net: Strongly or somewhat agree	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
I will have financial issues funding my travel experience	58%	63%	57%	53%	52%	64%
I will encounter language barriers	58%	57%	59%	59%	53%	63%
I have too many obligations here in Canada (ex. family, children or career)	57%	48%	61%	64%	52%	63%
I do not know how to get started	54%	60%	55%	48%	51%	58%
I will experience issues finding employment outside of Canada	52%	55%	52%	50%	53%	52%
I have concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic or future similar pandemics	49%	48%	49%	49%	45%	52%
I will experience isolation or loneliness	46%	48%	46%	42%	41%	50%
I will not feel safe or secure (ex. concerns about personal safety, and/or racial, religious or sexual orientation/gender discrimination)	40%	40%	42%	39%	35%	45%
I will have an issue with travel, residency or employment documents or permits	35%	37%	35%	32%	35%	35%
I will have an issue with the country customs and laws, cultural norms or experience cultural shock	33%	34%	32%	32%	33%	31%

Table 44: Travel barriers
Question 16: What else prevents you from working, studying or volunteering outside of Canada? (3% or higher)

	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
I have too many obligations here in Canada (ex. family, children or career)	23%	20%	24%	26%	20%	27%
I will have financial issues funding my travel experience	18%	23%	17%	14%	18%	18%
No interest/prefer to stay in Canada/settled here/would only travel for leisure	7%	6%	8%	8%	8%	7%
I have concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic or future similar pandemics	6%	7%	5%	4%	7%	4%
Personal health or wellness issues	4%	6%	4%	3%	3%	5%
I do not know how to get started/lack of confidence to do so/stepping out of my comfort zone	4%	6%	3%	3%	3%	5%
Time/not enough vacation time	3%	3%	4%	3%	3%	3%
I will experience issues finding employment outside of Canada	3%	2%	4%	3%	3%	3%
I will not feel safe or secure (ex. concerns about personal safety, and/or racial, religious or sexual orientation/gender discrimination)	3%	3%	3%	2%	3%	2%

Table 45: Likelihood of participating in a program like IEC in the future
Question 27: To what extent are you likely or unlikely to participate in a work and travel abroad program like International Experience Canada in the future?

	Overall (n=2,500)	18-24 (n=550)	25-30 (n=900)	31-35 (n=1,046)	Male (n=861)	Female (n=1,611)
Net: Likely	31%	40%	29%	22%	34%	27%
Very likely	7%	8%	7%	6%	7%	7%
Somewhat likely	24%	32%	22%	16%	28%	20%
Neither likely nor unlikely	22%	24%	22%	20%	21%	23%
Somewhat unlikely	17%	16%	17%	19%	16%	18%
Very unlikely	24%	13%	28%	34%	22%	27%
Do not know	6%	7%	4%	6%	6%	5%

Table 46: Reasons for being likely / not likely to participate in a program like IEC (3% or more)
Question 28: Why do you say that?
Subgroup: Those likely to participate in a work and travel abroad program like IEC in future (n = 679).

	Overall (n=679)	18-24 (n=212)	25-30 (n=250)	31-35 (n=217)	Male (n=280)	Female (n=388)
Positive impression of program/ curious about it/sounds interesting	21%	22%	19%	22%	20%	23%
Explore new culture and experience life/work in abroad	19%	20%	18%	17%	16%	21%
Enjoy traveling/seeing new places	15%	17%	15%	12%	10%	22%
Personal preference, choices and experience	9%	7%	10%	9%	10%	7%
Need more information/ if opportunity arise	6%	6%	6%	5%	3%	10%
Would add experience to my resume/will offer better employment chances in Canada	4%	5%	4%	2%	5%	4%
COVID restrictions	4%	3%	4%	7%	5%	3%
Age/Family/Life stage/timing	4%	2%	5%	8%	4%	4%
Easy to do/program would offer support/take care of all preparation	4%	4%	4%	3%	2%	6%
Concern about Career/Financial/Visa/Process/Safety	4%	2%	5%	6%	4%	3%
Not sure about future/Not interested/Like Canada	3%	2%	5%	1%	1%	4%

Table 47: Reasons for being likely / not likely to participate in a program like IEC (3% or more)
Question 28: Why do you say that?
Subgroup: Those neither likely nor unlikely to participate in a work and travel abroad program like IEC in future (n = 550).

	Overall (n=550)	18-24 (n=135)	25-30 (n=199)	31-35 (n=216)	Male (n=180)	Female (n=360)
Not sure about future/Not interested/Like Canada	22%	27%	18%	21%	21%	24%
Need more information/ if opportunity arise	13%	15%	14%	10%	8%	17%
Age/Family/Life stage/timing	13%	6%	16%	20%	12%	14%
Concern about Career/Financial/Visa/Process/Safety	10%	12%	10%	8%	10%	10%
COVID restrictions	6%	6%	6%	5%	7%	5%
Unable to participate/may not qualify/too many restrictions/too much work to do	3%	4%	3%	4%	4%	3%
Haven't thought about it before	3%	3%	2%	4%	2%	4%

Table 48: Reasons for being likely / not likely to participate in a program like IEC (3% or more)
Question 28: Why do you say that?
Subgroup: Those unlikely to participate in a work and travel abroad program like IEC in future (n = 1,136).

	Overall (n=1,136)	18-24 (n=163)	25-30 (n=415)	31-35 (n=558)	Male (n=354)	Female (n=777)
Not sure about future/Not interested/Like Canada	35%	39%	36%	31%	38%	32%
Age/Family/Life stage/timing	32%	17%	31%	42%	24%	39%
Concern about Career/Financial/Visa/Process/Safety	22%	21%	25%	20%	22%	22%
Would rather travel for leisure	3%	2%	3%	4%	3%	3%
Unable to participate/may not qualify/too many restrictions/too much work to do	3%	5%	2%	2%	3%	2%
My job isn't transferable/does not apply to my profession/not offered through work	3%	5%	2%	2%	2%	3%

E. Parents of Youth in Secondary or Post-Secondary Education

Past International Travel Experience (Children of Respondents)

Few parents of Canadian youth report that their children have obtained visas, participated in IEC, or travelled through another youth mobility program.

Among parents with children still attending secondary or post-secondary education, 8 percent report instances where their child has obtained a visa for international work, study, or volunteer experiences. Just 5 percent say their child has participated in the IEC program in the past. Participation in other programs like IYIP or IAYI is also 5 percent.

Table 49: Visa/work permit for each type of travel
Question P1A: Have they ever obtained a visa or permit to work, study or volunteer outside of Canada?

	Overall (n=1,004)	36-40 (n=103)	41-50 (n=506)	51+ (n=395)	Male (n=584)	Female (n=418)
Work	4%	7%	5%	2%	5%	3%
Study	6%	11%	7%	5%	7%	5%
Volunteer	4%	10%	4%	3%	5%	4%
Total Obtained Visa	8%	14%	9%	6%	9%	8%

Table 50: Child participated in IEC
Question P2A: Has your child who is at a secondary or postsecondary educational institution ever participated in the International Experience Canada program?

	Overall (n=1,004)	36-40 (n=103)	41-50 (n=506)	51+ (n=395)	Male (n=584)	Female (n=418)
Yes	5%	9%	7%	3%	6%	5%
No	92%	89%	91%	93%	91%	93%
Not sure	3%	2%	3%	3%	3%	2%

Table 51: Child participation in other Canadian youth mobility programs
Question P2B: Have they ever travelled abroad using another Canadian youth mobility program such as the International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) or the International Aboriginal Youth Internships (IAYI)?

	Overall (n=1,004)	36-40 (n=103)	41-50 (n=506)	51+ (n=395)	Male (n=584)	Female (n=418)
Yes - International Youth Internship Program (IYIP)	4%	11%	5%	2%	4%	4%
Yes - International Aboriginal Youth Internships (IAYI)	1%	0%	1%	<1%	1%	<1%
Yes – Other	1%	0%	<1%	2%	1%	<1%
No	93%	87%	93%	95%	93%	94%
Not sure	2%	2%	2%	2%	2%	2%

Awareness of IEC (Among Parents)

Parents have low awareness of IEC overall, and like youth, most often learn about it through friends or family. Half of parents say they would like to know more; internet searches and school resources are their preferred channels for receiving information about the program.

Overall awareness of IEC is fairly low among parents of youth, with just two percent saying they know it well, and 18 percent saying they know a “fair amount” (5%) or “a little bit” (13%) about the program. Like youth, parents with awareness of IEC most commonly learn about the program from friends and family (44%), school resources (18%), or the internet (17%).

Of those parents not aware of the program, half (50%) say they are interested in learning more. General internet searches (45%), school resources (35%), and information sessions (18%) are the most preferred channels for parents who would like to know more about IEC.

Table 52: IEC Awareness
Question P3: Before taking this survey, to what extent were you aware or unaware of the International Experience Canada program?

	Overall (n=1,004)	36-40 (n=103)	41-50 (n=506)	51+ (n=395)	Male (n=584)	Female (n=418)
Know the program well	2%	3%	2%	1%	2%	2%
Know a fair amount about the program	5%	9%	5%	4%	6%	3%
Know a little bit about the program	13%	15%	11%	15%	13%	13%
Only know the name	10%	9%	8%	13%	10%	11%
Never heard of it	68%	61%	72%	65%	67%	69%
Do not know	2%	4%	2%	2%	2%	2%

Table 53: How they became aware of IEC
Question P4: How did you become aware of the International Experience Canada program?
Subgroup: Those aware of IEC program (n = 300).

	Overall (n=300)	36-40 (n=36)	41-50 (n=134)	51+ (n=130)	Male (n=180)	Female (n=119)
From my friends and family	44%	50%	44%	43%	44%	45%
Academic institution/School campus	18%	22%	19%	16%	15%	23%
General internet search	17%	6%	16%	22%	20%	13%
NET: IEC Source	13%	25%	16%	7%	16%	9%
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website (Canada.ca/iec)	6%	17%	4%	5%	7%	4%
International Experience Canada Abroad Facebook account: @CanadiansAbroadIEC	5%	6%	9%	1%	5%	5%
International Experience Canada Abroad Instagram account: @iec_abroad	3%	6%	4%	2%	4%	2%
International Experience Canada information seminar/session/fair (please specify which seminar/session/fair)	<1%	0%	1%	0%	1%	0%
From a news agency (in print or online)	11%	6%	8%	15%	12%	9%
My own personal experience with the program	8%	11%	9%	6%	8%	8%
Through my work	8%	6%	7%	8%	9%	5%
Person/group I follow on social media	5%	3%	7%	4%	6%	5%
Through a Recognized Organization (AIESEC, SWAP, etc.)	5%	6%	7%	3%	6%	4%
Specific websites I visit	<1%	0%	1%	0%	1%	0%
Other	3%	0%	3%	3%	2%	3%
Do not know	10%	11%	13%	6%	8%	13%

Table 54: Like to receive information about IEC
Question P5: Do you think that you would like to receive information about the International Experience Canada Program?
Subgroup: Those who have never heard of IEC (n = 704)

	Overall (n=704)	36-40 (n=67)	41-50 (n=372)	51+ (n=265)	Male (n=404)	Female (n=299)
Yes	50%	43%	49%	52%	48%	52%
No	30%	28%	32%	29%	33%	27%
Not sure	20%	28%	19%	19%	20%	21%

Table 55: Preference to receive information about IEC
Question P6: How would you prefer to receive information about the International Experience Canada program?
Subgroup: Those who have never heard of IEC and are interested in receiving information about it (n = 490)

	Overall (n=490)	36-40 (n=48)	41-50 (n=254)	51+ (n=188)	Male (n=272)	Female (n=217)
General internet search	45%	42%	47%	41%	45%	45%
Academic institution/School campus	35%	15%	41%	33%	36%	35%
International Experience Canada information seminar/session/fair	18%	8%	19%	19%	18%	18%
International Experience Canada Abroad Facebook account: @CanadiansAbroadIEC	14%	8%	15%	15%	13%	16%
From my friends and family	12%	10%	12%	12%	14%	9%
Person/group I follow on social media	10%	10%	15%	4%	11%	10%
Through a Recognized Organization (AIESEC, SWAP, etc.)	10%	0%	12%	10%	10%	10%
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website (Canada.ca/iec)	10%	4%	10%	11%	9%	11%
From a news agency (in print or online)	9%	6%	9%	10%	11%	6%
Through my work	7%	10%	7%	6%	8%	6%
International Experience Canada Abroad Instagram account: @iec_abroad	5%	6%	7%	3%	4%	7%
Specific websites I visit	1%	0%	1%	1%	1%	<1%
Other	9%	6%	7%	13%	8%	11%
Do not know	15%	23%	15%	15%	15%	16%

Parents’ Past Travel Experience

Most parents have never obtained a visa for work, study, or volunteering outside of Canada.

While 16 percent of parents say they have obtained a visa for international travel in the past, just 3 percent are past IEC participants.

Table 56: Parent obtained visa/work permit for each type of travel before age 35
Question P7A: Did you, yourself, ever obtain a visa or permit to work, study or volunteer outside of Canada before you turned 35?

	Overall (n=1,004)	36-40 (n=103)	41-50 (n=506)	51+ (n=395)	Male (n=584)	Female (n=418)
Work	11%	10%	13%	10%	13%	8%
Study	8%	12%	9%	6%	8%	8%
Volunteer	5%	7%	6%	3%	4%	5%
Total Obtained Visa	16%	16%	18%	13%	17%	13%

Table 57: Parents participated in IEC
Question P7B: And did you personally participate in the International Experience Canada program?

	Overall (n=1,004)	36-40 (n=103)	41-50 (n=506)	51+ (n=395)	Male (n=584)	Female (n=418)
Yes	3%	7%	5%	1%	4%	3%
No	95%	90%	95%	98%	95%	96%
Not sure	1%	3%	1%	1%	1%	1%

Parent Attitudes Toward Post-Pandemic Travel

Youth travel intentions, as reported by parents, are strong, with more than three in ten saying their children are likely to travel for study, work, or volunteering. While parents have some concerns around safety related to the pandemic, six in ten say they would recommend an international experience to their child.

Parents indicate that their children are quite willing to travel when the pandemic is over, with three quarters (75%) saying their child is very or somewhat likely to travel for leisure or business before they turn 35. This is on par with Canadian youth (also 75% somewhat or very likely to travel).

Compared to youth themselves, parents of Canadian youth are more inclined to say their child is likely to travel when the pandemic is over for study (39% parents compared to 35% youth), to work (39% parents to 21% youth) and to volunteer (30% parents to 21% youth).

Parents themselves are generally willing to recommend international travel for study, work, or volunteering once the pandemic is over; six in ten parents (60%) say they are very or somewhat likely to recommend this type of experience to their child. Asked to consider how the pandemic has changed their perspective on this issue, about half (49%) indicate that it affected their opinion negatively, while 22 percent offer positive perspectives.

Parents were asked to rate their agreement with two attitude statements about post-pandemic travel, revealing some degree of reticence and concern. Six in ten (60%) strongly or somewhat agree that there are certain places in the world they would recommend against their child living in, and half (49%) agree that they are less likely to recommend that their children live outside of Canada.

Table 58: Child likely to travel when pandemic is over
Question P8: Again thinking only about your child who is at a secondary or postsecondary educational institution, when the crisis is over and all pandemic-related travel restrictions have ended, how likely would you say they are to do any of the following activities outside of Canada before they turn 35?

Net: Very or somewhat likely	Overall (n=1,004)	36-40 (n=103)	41-50 (n=506)	51+ (n=395)	Male (n=584)	Female (n=418)
Travel for leisure or business	75%	67%	73%	79%	75%	74%
Study	39%	44%	39%	39%	38%	41%
Work	39%	41%	39%	39%	38%	41%
Volunteer	30%	35%	27%	32%	28%	33%

Table 59: Likely to recommend international travel to child when pandemic is over
Question P8B: How likely would you be to recommend an international travel, work or volunteer experience to your child who is at a secondary or postsecondary educational institution?

	Overall (n=1,004)	36-40 (n=103)	41-50 (n=506)	51+ (n=395)	Male (n=584)	Female (n=418)
Net: Likely	60%	61%	60%	59%	60%	60%
Very likely	27%	22%	26%	29%	26%	28%
Somewhat likely	33%	39%	34%	30%	34%	31%
Neither likely nor unlikely	22%	20%	21%	23%	23%	20%
Somewhat unlikely	5%	5%	6%	5%	6%	4%
Very unlikely	8%	6%	8%	9%	7%	9%
Do not know	5%	8%	4%	5%	3%	7%

Table 60: How pandemic has changed parent’s view of recommending international experience
Question P9: How has the recent COVID pandemic changed your view of recommending an international travel, work or volunteer experience to your child who is at a secondary or postsecondary educational institution?

	Overall (n=1,004)	36-40 (n=103)	41-50 (n=506)	51+ (n=395)	Male (n=584)	Female (n=418)
NET: Negative outlook	49%	48%	48%	51%	45%	55%
Would advise against it/at the moment it is not safe/wise to visit places/should stay home	23%	19%	23%	24%	20%	28%
It has negatively changed my views	6%	10%	6%	6%	6%	7%
All/non-essential travels are cancelled/boarders are closed	5%	5%	5%	6%	5%	5%
Not sure how serious other countries are taking the pandemic/uncertainty regarding COVID protections/status in other nations	4%	0%	4%	5%	4%	4%
We should be more careful/cautious	3%	0%	3%	4%	3%	4%
NET: Positive outlook	22%	21%	20%	26%	21%	24%
Once we are past COVID we can resume everything	9%	7%	8%	10%	9%	9%
This is a life experience/it is always good to travel and experience the world	5%	4%	5%	6%	5%	6%
Once everyone is vaccinated I would consider it	5%	3%	3%	8%	5%	4%
Just a delay of plans/we will resume once travel restrictions are removed	3%	3%	2%	4%	3%	3%

Table 61: Agreement with statements about travel
Question P10: Having experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, how much do you agree with each of the following statements?

Net: Strongly or somewhat agree	Overall (n=1,004)	36-40 (n=103)	41-50 (n=506)	51+ (n=395)	Male (n=584)	Female (n=418)
There are places in the world that I would recommend my children not live in case there is another pandemic	60%	58%	58%	63%	59%	61%
The pandemic has made me less likely to recommend my children live outside of Canada	49%	42%	48%	51%	47%	50%

Parents with previous travel experiences of their own are more aware of IEC and more likely to recommend international experiences to their children, but they are equally reticent about travel after COVID-19 compared to other parents.

The following tables show key results broken out by the parents’ own travel experiences, i.e. whether or not they travelled for work, study, or to volunteer before the age of 35. Parents with travel experience are more likely to be aware of the IEC program overall, with 8 percent saying they know the program well and 16 percent saying they know a fair amount about the program; among parents without youth travel experience, this is just 1 percent and 3 percent, respectively. Among parents aware of the program, those with previous travel experience of their own are more likely to mention school, IEC sources, and personal experience as their basis for awareness of IEC.

While parents with experience outside of Canada are more likely to recommend an international experience to their own children in general (84%, compared to 56% of parents without international experience), there is no statistically significant difference between these groups in terms of the pandemic’s specific impact on their likelihood to recommend travel to specific countries or outside of Canada.

Table 62: IEC Awareness
Question P3: Before taking this survey, to what extent were you aware or unaware of the International Experience Canada program?

	Parent Has Experience Outside of Canada (n=156)	Parent Does Not Have Experience Outside of Canada (n=848)
Know the program well	8%	1%
Know a fair amount about the program	16%	3%
Know a little bit about the program	22%	11%
Only know the name	8%	11%
Never heard of it	45%	72%
Do not know	1%	2%

Table 63: How they became aware of IEC
Question P4: How did you become aware of the International Experience Canada program?
Subgroup: Those aware of IEC program (n = 300).

	Parent Has Experience Outside of Canada (n=84)	Parent Does Not Have Experience Outside of Canada (n=216)
From my friends and family	45%	44%
Academic institution/School campus	26%	15%
General internet search	20%	16%
NET: IEC Source	25%	8%
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website (Canada.ca/iec)	7%	6%
International Experience Canada Abroad Facebook account: @CanadiansAbroadIEC	13%	2%
International Experience Canada Abroad Instagram account: @iec_abroad	7%	2%
International Experience Canada information seminar/session/fair (please specify which seminar/session/fair)	0%	<1%
From a news agency (in print or online)	11%	11%
My own personal experience with the program	19%	4%
Through my work	11%	6%
Person/group I follow on social media	2%	6%
Through a Recognized Organization (AIESEC, SWAP, etc.)	7%	4%
Specific websites I visit	1%
Other	2%	3%
Do not know	2%	13%

Table 64: Likely to recommend international travel to child when pandemic is over
Question P8B: How likely would you be to recommend an international travel, work or volunteer experience to your child who is at a secondary or postsecondary educational institution?

	Parent Has Experience Outside of Canada (n=156)	Parent Does Not Have Experience Outside of Canada (n=848)
Net: Likely	84%	56%
Very likely	50%	23%
Somewhat likely	34%	33%
Neither likely nor unlikely	12%	24%
Somewhat unlikely	3%	6%
Very unlikely	1%	9%
Do not know	1%	6%

Table 65: Agreement with statements about travel
Question P10: Having experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, how much do you agree with each of the following statements?

Net: Strongly or somewhat agree	Parent Has Experience Outside of Canada (n=156)	Parent Does Not Have Experience Outside of Canada (n=848)
There are places in the world that I would recommend my children not live in case there is another pandemic	56%	61%
The pandemic has made me less likely to recommend my children live outside of Canada	49%	48%

Appendix A: Research methodology

In order to meet IRCC’s research objectives two phases of research were conducted that focused on different target audiences.

Qualitative phase methodology

The target population audience for the qualitative online community consisted of two parts:

· Canadian youth from the general population, including quotas for low-incidence groups (LGBTQ2+ youth, Indigenous youth, youth women in STEM and youth with mobility/hearing impairments) to explore if/how their views differ from those in the general public.

· Parents of Canadian youth 35 or under who are currently enrolled in secondary or post-secondary education.

Separate English and French communities were run concurrently.

A total of 241 participants (198 youth and 43 parents) completed the community over a total window of three days, from March 17 to 19, 2021. Participants were recruited as part of the quantitative phase. All respondents who completed the online survey were screened for recruitment (including questions to evaluate their suitability).

Participants in the online community exercise were informed of the purpose of the exercise, the time commitment and incentive, and provided with guidance on how to protect their privacy. The methodology avoided attrition by minimizing the time lag between recruitment and the beginning of the qualitative exercise; survey participants who opted into the qualitative exercise were also sent a reminder the day before the exercise began. Each participant who completed the qualitative exercise was given an honorarium of $100 as a thank you for their time.

Table 66: Demographic breakdown of participants in the online community

Target group	Total online community	English bulletin board	French bulletin board
General population youth	111	70	41
Youth Impaired	15	14	1
Youth Indigenous	9	8	1
Youth LGBTQ2+	37	31	6
Youth Women in STEM	26	24	2
Parent	43	28	15
Total	241	175	66

The online community used the Recollective online bulletin board platform (programmed and hosted in Canada). This platform generated an asynchronous threaded discussion that developed as participants completed the research. The discussion guide for this research was developed by Environics, with separate versions for youth and parent participants.

This research was qualitative in nature, not quantitative. As such, the results provide an indication of participants’ views about the issues explored, but they cannot be generalized to the full population of members of the general public or members of the targeted audience segments.

Quantitative phase methodology

The quantitative online survey was conducted to understand travel behaviour and motivations among Canadian youth, from the perspective of the youth themselves and parents of Canadian youth attending secondary or post-secondary education. It gathered information from these groups (youth, parents of youth) on their travel experience, their views on travel in general and post-pandemic travel, their views on the IEC program and their future intentions regarding international experiences.

Sample design and weighting

A sample of 2,500 Canadians citizens aged 18-35 and 1,000 parents of Canadian citizens attending secondary or post-secondary education was drawn from an online panel of Canadians who have consented to participate in online surveys. These survey participants were qualified through a screener at the beginning of the survey. The youth sample was stratified by region, age, and gender to reflect proportions provided by IRCC, based on the 2016 Census.

Table 67: Youth sample: gender

	% of population	Target (quota)	% of sample	Actual Unweighted	Actual Weighted
Male	50.3%	1257	34.8%	861	1,244
Female	49.7%	1243	65.2%	1611	1,228

Table 68: Youth sample: age

	% of population	Target (quota)	% of sample	Actual Unweighted	Actual Weighted
18 to 24	38.8%	970	22.0%	550	942
25 to 35	61.2%	1530	78.0%	1,950	1,557

Table 69: Youth sample: Jurisdiction

	% of population	Target (quota)	% of sample	Actual Unweighted	Actual Weighted
Atlantic	6.2%	155	7.4%	184	154
Quebec	22.6%	565	20.1%	503	564
Ontario	38.5%	963	40.2%	1,005	969
Manitoba / Saskatchewan	6.9%	172	6.8%	170	171
Alberta	12.8%	320	12.6%	315	319
British Columbia	13.0%	325	12.9%	323	324

The parent sample of 1,004 participants was stratified by region. In keeping with IRCC’s goal of reaching a balanced, representative sample of parents, this sample included mothers and fathers age 36 and over.

Table 70: Parent sample: Jurisdiction

	% of population	Target (quota)	% of sample	Actual Unweighted	Actual Weighted
Atlantic	7.0%	70	7.0%	70	70
Quebec	23.4%	234	23.3%	234	235
Ontario	38.3%	383	38.4%	386	385
Manitoba / Saskatchewan	6.3%	63	6.4%	64	63
Alberta	11.3%	113	11.4%	114	113
British Columbia	13.7%	137	13.5%	136	138

Since online panels are not random probability samples, no formal estimates of sampling error can be calculated. Although opt-in panels are not random probability samples, online surveys can be used for general population surveys provided they are well designed and employ a large, well-maintained panel. Respondents were informed about privacy and anonymity.

Questionnaire design and pre-test

Environics adapted the survey questionnaire provided by IRCC to meet the research objectives and to act as both a quantitative survey instrument and as an effective method of recruiting qualified, high-quality participants into the qualitative online community exercise. The survey screened respondents to ensure they qualify using socio-demographic and program related screening questions to identify the target audience for the quantitative survey and to identify potential participants for the qualitative research. Once finalized, the online survey was translated into French. The final online survey/screener is included in Appendix B.

Environics’ data analysts programmed the questionnaire, then performed thorough testing to ensure accuracy in set-up and data collection. This validation ensured that the data entry process conformed to the surveys’ basic logic. The data collection system handles sampling invitations, quotas and questionnaire logic (skip patterns, branching, and valid ranges).

Prior to finalizing the survey for field, a pre-test (soft launch) was conducted in English and French. The pre-test assessed the questionnaire in terms of question wording and sequencing, respondent sensitivity to specific questions and to the survey overall, and to determine the survey length. It also tested the measurement of suitability for taking part in the qualitative online community exercise. As no changes were required following the pre-test, the pre-test cases (25 English, 24 French) were included in the analysis.

Fieldwork

The survey was conducted by Environics using a secure, fully featured web-based survey environment. The interviews took place from February 26 (soft launch pre-test) to March 12, 2021. The average interview length among those who completed the full quantitative survey was 10 minutes.

All respondents were offered the opportunity to complete the survey in their official language of choice. All research work was conducted in accordance with the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research – Online Surveys and recognized industry standards, as well as applicable federal legislation (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA).

Participation rate

Two panel providers were used for this study, Asking Canadians and Dynata.

The participation rate for the Asking Canadians sample was 12% (calculated as the number of responding units, divided by the sum of unresolved units, in-scope non-responding units, and responding units).

The completion results for the Asking Canadians sample are as follows:

· Total email addresses used: 31,350

o Invalid cases: 0

§ Invitations mistakenly sent to people who did not qualify for the study: 0

§ Incomplete or missing email addresses: 0

o Unresolved units: 23,513

§ Email invitations bounce back: 0

§ Email invitations unanswered: 23,513

o In-scope non-responding units: 4,055

§ Non-response from eligible respondents: 0

§ Respondent refusals: 0

§ Language problem: 0

§ Selected respondent not available (illness; leave of absence; vacation; other): 0

§ Early break-offs: 4,055

o Responding units: 3,782

§ Completed surveys disqualified – quota filled: 962

§ Completed surveys disqualified for other reasons: 872

§ Completed surveys: 1,948

Dynata conducted the other 1,556 surveys using a survey router and consequently participation rate for this portion of the sample cannot be reported. In total, they recruited 3,930 participants to the survey including 2,540 responding units.

Non-response bias analysis

The table below presents a profile of the final general population sample of Canadian youth 18 to 35 (unweighted), compared to the actual population of Canadian youth 18 to 35 (2016 Census information). Youth in the 18 to 24 age range are underrepresented in the unweighted sample, as are men, due to generally lower rates of participation in online panel surveys within these groups.

Table 71: Youth sample non-response bias: Gender

	Sample (unweighted)	Canada (2016 Census)
Male	35%	50%
Female	65%	50%

Table 68: Youth sample non-response bias: Age

	Sample (unweighted)	Canada (2016 Census)
18 to 24	22%	38%
25 to 30	36%	28%
31 to 35	42%	34%

Since no census data exists of the demographic make-up of the qualified parent target population (parents of Canadian youth enrolled in secondary or post-secondary education), an analysis of non-response bias is not possible.

Statement of limitations

Qualitative research provides insight into the range of opinions held within a population, rather than the weights of the opinions held, as measured in a quantitative survey. The results of the qualitative research should be viewed as indicative rather than projectable to the population.

Since online panel surveys are not a random probability samples, no formal estimates of sampling error can be calculated. Although not employing a random probability samples, online surveys can be used for general population surveys provided they are well designed and employ a large, well-maintained panel.

Appendix B: Quantitative and qualitative instruments

English and French quantitative and qualitative instruments are provided under separate cover.