Priced out of summer vacation? Here’s how to book ‘budget-conscious’ travel

A majority of Canadians say they're scaling back their summer travel plans, according to a new Ipsos poll, as inflation and economic uncertainty take their toll.

Inflation and fears about the direction of the economy are putting a chill in most Canadians’ summer travel plans, according to new polling.

But experts tell Global News “budget-conscious” vacations are still in the cards for many looking to get away.

Roughly six in 10 Canadians are scaling back their vacation plans due to inflation or the uncertain economic content, according to an Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News.

The results of the survey released Sunday show that almost a quarter of Canadians feel there is no way a summer vacation would be affordable.

“Just as inflation was the ‘Grinch that stole Christmas’, so too it’s rearing its ugly head again and it’s impacting the summer vacation plans for a lot of Canadians,” says Sean Simpson, senior vice-president of Ipsos Global Affairs.

While overall inflation has eased from highs seen last summer, price pressures have been particularly sticky on the services side of the equation, affecting how much Canadians pay for hotels, dining out and other travel-related expenses.

And after a year that saw rising interest rates push up costs Canadians are paying on their debt, roughly six in 10 respondents say they’re prioritizing other expenses over vacations this year.

But for many Canadians, vacations are out of reach when they matter most.