Good morning. We’re still shaking off the peppermint-scented holiday cobwebs, so we have a bit of a pared-back newsletter today, with a story looking at some travel trends for the year.
We thought this would be a good opportunity to ask, “where do you want to visit in 2026?” If you want to let us know, fill out this quick survey and we might share your answer later this week.
—Quinn Henderson
BUSINESS
Where are Canadians travelling in 2026?
Source: sebra / Shutterstock.
Canadians are looking to their own backyards (and Berlin) for travel inspo this year.
Driving the news: Canadian travellers are primed to continue 2025’s patriotism-fuelled rise of domestic vacays. According to data shared with The Peak by Kayak, the world’s leading travel search engine, interest in domestic flights is up 12% for 2026 compared with last year.
For international travel, Europe is the No. 1 trending destination for Canadians, with Berlin the top trending city. Year-over-year interest in flights to the German capital is up a whopping 228% in 2026 per Kayak (so don’t be surprised if you have several friends posting about their failed attempts to get into Berghain). Milan and Zurich were also two high risers.
Kayak spokesperson Adrienne Simic told The Peak that these cities are considered “next-wave European destinations,” which are drawing interest from travellers who traditionally leaned more toward Western Europe rather than Central Europe.
Why it matters: Per the most recent Statistics Canada data, trips made by Canadians within the country were up 10.9% annually in Q2 of 2025, with residents spending $20.3 billion on domestic tourism. This year presents an opportunity to build on the momentum (especially with the FIFA World Cup coming to town).
Bottom line: Take these numbers with a grain of salt, but they certainly paint a picture of a country that’s happy to keep skipping the U.S. That’s great news for the domestic GDP.—QH
SATURDAY CARTOON
Artwork by Hailey Ferguson.
Congratulations to the winners of last week's cartoon caption contest and thanks to everyone who submitted!
Want to see this week's cartoon and try your hand at another caption? Click here and give us your best witticism.
PEAK PICKS
It’s never too late to catch up on the best Canadian books of 2025, according to CBC Books.
Here are 10 hacks that every car owner should know.
Eat your greens: 12 veggies that you might not know are high in protein.
When does it make sense to use buy now, pay later services?
Read: Scientists may have found a legendary sunken city off the coast of France.
Watch: How money laundering actually works.
*This is sponsored content.
GAMES
Get started on the first Peak Saturday Crossword of the year!
Then, make some time for a little bit of sudoku.