Canadian Travel Pulse: Travel isn’t being cut – it's being optimized

New Rakuten.ca survey shows Canadians are adjusting travel plans, seeking deals and making trade-offs to keep vacations within reach

TORONTO, May 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rising costs and economic uncertainty are reshaping how Canadians travel, but not whether they travel. New findings from Rakuten.ca’s Canadian Travel Pulse reveal that while more than half of Canadians (54%) have changed their travel behaviours compared to previous years, travel remains firmly protected, with 86% still planning to take a trip in the year ahead. Canadians are increasingly becoming strategic travellers, redesigning trips around value by travelling off-peak, comparing booking platforms, waiting for promotions and seeking rewards to make travel possible despite ongoing financial pressure.

Rakuten.ca’s own member data reinforces the shift toward more intentional travel planning. Travel bookings on Rakuten.ca are up 28% year-over-year, with Canadians looking for ways to offset costs and maximize value.

As Canadians head into the busiest travel season of the year, the findings highlight that travellers are becoming more strategic in how they plan and book trips, seeking out opportunities to maximize value and make summer travel work within tighter budgets. Canadians are making room in their budgets by cutting back elsewhere. 42% are reducing spending in other categories to afford travel.

“Canadians are proving that travel is more than a luxury — it remains a priority. Despite rising costs and volatility shaping how people spend, many are making intentional trade-offs elsewhere to protect travel, reflecting a growing desire to reconnect and recharge,” says Jennifer LaForge, General Manager of Rakuten.ca. “At Rakuten.ca, we're helping make travel more attainable by giving members more ways to earn Cash Back on everything from gas and rental cars to hotels and vacation packages, so they can plan the trips they want without compromise.”

Canadians are treating travel like an investment decision rather than an impulse purchase. More than three-quarters (76%) say they could be influenced to book travel right now, with lower prices and promotions emerging as the strongest booking triggers. Canadians under 55 are significantly more likely to use cost-saving tactics, signalling a shift toward more engineered travel behaviours.

Key Survey findings:

Travel remains protected despite economic pressure: 86% of Canadians plan to travel this year.
Canadians are becoming strategic travellers: 54% changed travel behaviours this year, including 39% taking fewer trips overall.
Domestic travel is leading the way: 72% are choosing to travel within Canada only.
Value drives booking decisions: 76% say lower prices, promotions, or rewards — such as Rakuten Cash Back — could influence travel decisions right now.
Travel optimization has become routine: Travelling off-peak (41%), comparing booking platforms (35%) and choosing lower-cost destinations (34%) are among the most common cost-saving behaviours.
Canadians are protecting travel by spending differently elsewhere: 42% are making trade-offs in other categories to keep travel possible.
Younger Canadians are still leaning into travel: Canadians aged 18 to 34 are significantly more likely to be travelling more overall this year compared to Canadians over 35.

Rakuten.ca’s Travel Week – a monthly promotional program – happens June 8 –14, offering Canadians an opportunity to double Cash Back from travel retailers, including Expedia.ca, Air Canada Vacations, Hotels.com, Vrbo and more. But the opportunities to save don’t stop there. With a broad network of travel partners, members can earn Cash Back every day, year-round on everything from rental cars and gas gift cards for spontaneous road trips, to vacation rentals, flights and international hotel stays — helping Canadians unlock more value and make meaningful travel experiences go further.

About Rakuten.ca
Launching in 2021, Rakuten.ca is a leading shopping rewards program that offers Cash Back, deals and rewards from all your favourite brands, including Sephora, Gap, Well.ca, Adidas and more. By partnering with over 750 brands in apparel, health and beauty, travel, on-demand services, subscription boxes and more, Rakuten helps Canadians get more from the things they buy. Rakuten has become the largest and most rewarding shopping experience, and its 8 million members have earned $140 million in Cash Back just for shopping through Rakuten. For more information, visit Rakuten.ca.

About This Study
These findings are from a survey conducted by Rakuten.ca from May 8th to May 12th, 2026, among a representative sample of 1,503 online adult Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in English and French. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.53 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For more information or media requests please contact:
Jaclyn Friedlich: jaclyn.friedlich@narrativexpr.com | 613.983.0500

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