CAMBRIDGE, ON — Canadians are dreaming of a winter escape, but many are finding the cost too high.

A new survey from Allianz Global Assistance Canada found that 72% of Canadian travellers say they desperately need a vacation, yet only 41% are planning a winter getaway.

Money is the biggest obstacle for those staying home. Two-thirds (66%) of Canadians not planning to travel said they either don’t have the money or don’t want to spend it, while 30% said travel has become too expensive.

For those who do plan to get away, the average intended spend is $2,592 per person. Spending plans vary considerably by generation, with Gen Z travellers budgeting an average of $1,790 and Boomers planning to spend $4,306.

Many are making trade-offs to keep their vacations on the calendar. Nearly two-thirds (63%) said they are cutting back on non-essential spending to afford their trip, while half (50%) are scaling back their vacation plans rather than cancelling them.

WEIGHING RISKS AND PROTECTION

Cost isn’t the only concern. Travellers cited delays (62%), safety and security (61%), geopolitical concerns (61%), illness (55%), extreme weather (55%) and medical emergencies (51%) among their top worries when planning a trip.

Travel insurance is one way travellers are looking to manage those risks. Nearly three-quarters (73%) said they have already purchased or are likely to purchase coverage to help protect their trip.

AI AND LUXURY TRAVEL

The survey also explored changing travel preferences. More than four in 10 respondents (41%) have used or plan to use artificial intelligence to help plan a vacation, while one-third (33%) expect to spend more on luxury travel experiences in the coming year. Nearly three in 10 (29%) said they prefer to bring their pets along when they travel.

“Canadians are telling us that travel matters to them, even when it requires making some difficult financial choices,” said Kyle Sparkman, Managing Director of Allianz Partners Canada. He said that when travellers cut spending elsewhere or scale back their plans to make a vacation possible, protecting that investment becomes even more important.

“Travel insurance is a smart way to protect those hard-earned plans from the unexpected and give Canadians greater confidence to enjoy the time away they’ve worked hard to prioritize,” he said.

The Winter 2026 Allianz Partners Global Travel Confidence Index was conducted online by Ipsos between Sept. 25 and Oct. 9, 2026. It surveyed 1,001 Canadians aged 18 and older and has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.