Choosing the right travel companion can have a huge impact on the quality of your vacation. The right person will enhance your trip, complement your personality and make the entire experience more fun. So who should you take on your next vacation? Why, a Canadian of course! If you’re not sure why a Canadian is your best travel bet, we’re sharing nine reasons a Canuck makes an ideal travel companion.
Canadians love to travel
What better person to travel with than someone who’s an experienced traveller? Frequent travellers are comfortable in most situations, can keep their cool if plans go awry and know how to get around efficiently – and Canadians travel a lot. According to the Government of Canada, Canadians make more than 61 million trips abroad annually. That’s a lot of time on the move. Travelling with someone who knows the ropes is also ideal when you don’t have much (or any) travel experience.
Canadians are polite
If there’s one thing Canadians are known for the world over, it’s being polite. Canadians are mocked for their penchant for apologizing for everything (including apologizing for apologizing), but being polite is an asset in a travel partner. You want someone who can put people at ease, not someone who has the potential to ruffle any feathers. In addition, the more polite someone is, the higher the chances for things like room upgrades can be.
Canadians are smart
Travel smarter by choosing a smart travel companion. A Canadian would definitely fit the bill. According to a 2012 report on global education by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Canada has the highest proportion of college graduates per capita than other OECD countries. Smart travellers are usually good problem solvers, something that becomes very important on the road.
Canadians are funny
Having a travel companion with a good sense of humour is a must. It’ll keep you entertained and keep the mood light if anything stressful happens to occur. Canada is home to a multitude of funny women and men. Eugene Levy, Jim Carrey, Mike Meyers, Samantha Bee, Catherine O’Hara and Seth Rogen are just a few famous people that prove Canadians are a funny bunch.
Canadians have a great reputation
If you’re going to take anyone along on a vacation, it should be someone you can trust, and Canadians rank pretty high in the positive reputation department. Canada’s reputation recently took top spot in an international survey, the Reputation Institute’s annual ranking of countries by perceived image.
Canadians can handle the cold
Whether you’re going on a ski trip in the French Alps or just someplace where the temperature is going to dip below freezing, if you’re travelling with a Canadian you won’t get many complaints. It’s cold in Canada for much of the year. In fact, Canada is known as one of the coldest countries in the world, so you can be sure that a little frosty weather won’t scare off your Canadian travel companion.
Canadians are multi-lingual
Travelling, depending on where you’re going, often involves dealing with languages other than English. This is where travelling with a Canadian could prove useful. According to Statistics Canada, in 2011, 17.5 percent of the Canadian population, or 5.8 million people, reported speaking at least two languages at home. Knowing at least the basics in the language of your destination (hello, goodbye, thank you, etc.) can go a long way towards making travel easier and appearing polite in the eyes of the locals.
More specifically, a lot of Canadians speak French
If you’re going to a country where French will be an asset, having a Canadian close by can be particularly helpful. Also according to Statistics Canada, between 2006 and 2011, the number of Canadians who reported being able to conduct a conversation in both of English and French increased by almost 350,000 to 5.8 million. In addition to France, French is spoken in numerous countries including Belgium, Monaco, Luxembourg, as well as many African countries.
Canadians are friendly
Above all else, the person you choose as your travel partner should really be someone who is easy to get along with. The last thing you need is to feel at odds with the person you’re sharing a room with. That’s why a Canadian might be your best choice. In 2012 Canada ranked 4th on a list of the friendliest countries in the world ranked in the HSBC’s Expat Explorer Survey. Naturally friendly people are usually easy going, open to new experiences and fun to be around – all things you want in a travel buddy.
Featured image: istock.com/swissmediavision
