The appetite to travel is getting larger as the winter months approach and the pandemic restrictions fade, according to one person who works in the industry.

Terry Kaszas, CAA Saskatchewan's General Manager of Travel Services, says there are currently a ton of people booking trips.

"It's back and it's better than pre-pandemic," Kaszas said. "It's going gangbusters right now. Whoever came out with the term revenge travel a year or so ago...it really is. People are booking like crazy."

Kaszas added part of the reason for the explosion is that potential travellers are feeling a lot more confident right now.

"This year they're a little bit more free-wheeling I guess in a sense...they're feeling more confident that with all the restrictions being lifted, that they're able to travel more freely," he said. "Whether it's with a group, or to a sun destination, or just to somewhere different."

Group travel in particular has become very popular this year, Kaszas said.

"Right now we're seeing a lot of friends and families going together. We're seeing a lot more in the group side of things with people travelling, as well as individually," he said. "Everybody's excited to get going and they're doing it by just about all means possible."

"They missed a couple of years of travelling essentially, so they're wanted to get together with their friends, their families, like-minded individuals, and go together," he continued. 

Kaszas said many of the traditional destinations are once again popular this year.

"We're seeing a lot of our regular sun destinations. Mainly Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and then carrying over into the Caribbean," he said. 

And the cruise line industry, which was decimated during the pandemic, is also bouncing back, Kaszas said.

"We're seeing a lot more cruises being booked through out the winter season and going forward even on to the smaller ships for river cruising, and then the larger sea ones as well."

CAA Saskatchewan has 11 travel locations across the province, including one in Estevan.