The number of Americans who plan to take a summer vacation has held steady from last year despite the worsening economy, but 58% of those vacation goers say economic conditions are forcing them to cut back on their holiday spending.

Thirty-six percent (36%) say they don’t plan to reduce spending on their vacation this summer, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of women say they are being forced to cut back on summer vacation spending, compared to 47% of men.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Americans say they plan to take a summer vacation this year. An identical number, 38%, said they took a vacation last summer.

Three years ago at this time, 55% of Americans planned to take a summer vacation.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) say the just completed Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer.

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Sixty-two percent (62%) of married Americans who are planning a summer vacation say they will be cutting back on their spending, compared to 46% of those who are not married. Among vacationing adults with children living with them, 68% will be limiting spending versus 50% of those without children in the home.

Overall, 41% of adults say the problems of the economic recession have brought their families closer together. Twenty-three percent (23%) say the recession has driven their families further apart, while 33% say it has had no impact on them.

Data released earlier showed that 18% believe the economy has negatively affected a relationship with a close friend or family member.

Forty-five percent (45%) of women and 35% of men say the recession has brought their families closer together. Fifty-one percent (51%) of African-Americans say the same, as do 38% of whites.

Daily consumer confidence as measured by the Rasmussen Consumer Index has remained largely flat for the past month but is up 14 points from the beginning of the year.

Last year, 69% of Americans said the high price of gas at the pump was cutting into their summer vacation plans.

In early September, 44% rated the past summer good or excellent, while 50% felt it was fair or poor. Five percent (5%) said it was the best summer ever.

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