The Straycation Effect: 43% of Canadians Cross the Line on Summer Trips

Sun, sangria and a suitcase full of good intentions. But for a lot of Canadian couples, the summer getaway is exactly where the trouble starts.

A new survey of 1,000 Canadian adults in relationships, commissioned by Casinos Analyzer, found that summer is the season people are most likely to stray, and the trip away is often where the line gets crossed. Casinos Analyzer Canada calls it the Straycation: the trip where being away from your partner turns into flirting or something more.

Key findings:

43% have crossed a relationship line on a summer trip
56% become bolder and flirtier when travelling solo
11% have kissed someone else while away, and 8% have had a full one-night stand
35% say summer is when temptation peaks, double any other season
44% fear their partner could stray on a summer trip
31% have rowed after a summer trip, and 10% saw a relationship end

When the Temperature Rises, Boundaries Drop

Asked which time of year they were most tempted to cheat, or actually did, 35% of Canadians pointed to summer. That`s more than double any other season, with just 15% naming winter, 14% spring and 12% fall. Something about long evenings, loosened routines and a change of scenery seems to lower the guard, and the data suggests it isn`t only temptation talking. It`s behaviour, too.

When Canadians travel without their partner in summer, the picture gets spicy fast. More than a quarter (27%) have flirted with someone on a trip away, 15% have handed out their number, 11% have kissed someone else while away, and 8% have had a full one-night stand behind their partner`s back. A holiday fling might sound like a cliché, but with 43% admitting to crossing some kind of line, the numbers say it`s closer to a national pastime.

The Straycation Alter Ego Checks In

Why does distance do this? Partly because people simply behave differently when their partner isn`t in the room. A striking 56% of Canadians admit they become a bolder, flirtier version of themselves when travelling solo, with 23% saying much bolder and another 33% a little. That`s the Straycation in a nutshell, the confident, unaccountable persona that checks in the moment you check into the hotel. It`s rarely planned. New surroundings, a few more drinks, a little attention from a stranger, and the everyday rules start to feel very far away.

Relationship therapist Jaime Bronstein, LCSW, says that shift is more predictable than most couples realise. "During vacations, the fictitious line between flirting and cheating can become much less cut and dried," she says. "The usual rhythm of life is becoming derailed by traveling more, meeting with other people, and drinking more often. Situational cheating thrives in these circumstances. What`s interesting is that it`s not only about physical distance, but also a psychological sense of being far from your partner." It`s a useful lens for that 56% figure. The Straycation isn`t really about geography at all. It`s about feeling unaccountable.

Canadians are clearly wrestling with where the line sits, too. Searches for "is flirting cheating" have surged 288% in the past month, a sign that plenty of us aren`t sure whether the Straycation actually counts.

Suspicion Packs Its Bags Too

If this is making you side-eye your partner`s upcoming girls` or guys` trip, you`re not alone. The anxiety cuts in both directions, with 44% of Canadians admitting they fear their partner could stray on a summer trip and 22% saying they`d feel uneasy letting their partner travel without them at all. A committed 7%, almost one in fourteen, wouldn`t allow a solo trip in the first place. Trust, it turns out, packs its own bags.

When a Straycation Ends a Relationship

A Straycation can feel harmless in the moment, but the consequences don`t always stay at the airport. Summer trips and events have sparked a serious argument for 31% of Canadian couples and ended 10% of relationships outright. That`s a lot of holidays that came home with more baggage than they left with, and it`s where Bronstein`s warning lands hardest. "What was once an impulsive mistake can morph into a full-blown falling out," she says. "If you hide the messages, belittle what happened, or feign ignorance, it can further intensify the issue. Knowing your partner would perceive your behavior as cheating, the line has already been crossed. And when this happens, it can create a psychological thrill that turns an accident into a habit. Be insightful and consider the consequences before making decisions that could negatively impact the rest of your life. If you`re not happy or fulfilled in your relationship, it`s better to communicate that to your partner, rather than seek comfort in the arms of someone else."

So, is your relationship Straycation-proof?

The data isn`t a verdict on your partner. Plenty of Canadians travel solo every summer and come home exactly as faithful as they left. But it`s a reminder that a change of scenery can change behaviour, and that the "what happens on holiday stays on holiday" mindset is far more common than most couples would like to admit. The upside is that a Straycation only has power when it goes unspoken. Couples who talk openly about boundaries, about what counts, what doesn`t, and what they`d want to know, tend to travel a lot lighter.

A survey by Casinos Analyzer Canada of 1,000 Canadian adults in relationships, conducted in July 2026