Hols on hold: Why the Irish are delaying their summer getaways

Rising costs, fuel fears, and a volatile world are having an effect on holiday plans. Deirdre McArdle talks to travel experts about where are the popular hot-spots for 2026

Although there has been a slow start to the holiday bookings this year, short-haul destinations in particular continue to perform strongly with Irish holidaymakers. Picture: iStock

RISING costs and a volatile geopolitical environment mean Irish holidaymakers have been delaying booking their summer breaks this year.

Delaying is the key word, say travel experts, who are seeing first-hand that Irish families are still interested in booking a holiday but they’re just taking a cautious approach.

“Customers are taking a bit more time before confirming their bookings, with a greater focus on value, flexibility, and overall affordability, but they are still very much intending to travel this year,” says Mary Denton, CEO of Sunway Travel.

This tallies with an end-of-April travel sentiment survey by Click&Go Holidays which showed 60% of people hadn’t booked their holiday yet, but 80% of those were still planning to go abroad this year.

The increased cost of living was by far the key influence on Irish families’ holiday plans, and almost half said global volatility, mainly in the Middle East, was a factor.

Despite a slow start to holiday bookings — experts say they are experiencing a 10-25% fall in business for this time of year — short-haul destinations, in particular, continue to perform strongly with Irish people.

These are the “old, reliable destinations” such as Spain, France, Portugal, and the Canaries, explains Tom Randles, president of the Irish Travel Agents Association and boss of Barter’s Travelnet in Cork.

Türkiye

“What is being booked is the western Med but we are seeing a shift away from the eastern Mediterranean, including Türkiye, Cyprus, and, to a lesser extent, Greece.”

Fuat Firat, vice president sales (Middle and Northern Europe) at Turkish Airlines, which is marking its 20th anniversary of service from Dublin Airport, is seeing “strong demand from Irish holidaymakers, particularly for Türkiye and longer-haul destinations across the Far East, Southeast Asia, and Australia via our Istanbul hub.”

By summer, 2026, he says the airline will be operating 20 flights a week from Dublin and continuing to expand capacity across East and Southeast Asia, including Japan, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

He said:

For Irish holidaymakers considering travel to Türkiye, our advice is to book with confidence while ensuring they stay informed through official travel guidance and work with trusted travel partners.

Middle East

Due to the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, holiday bookings in the Middle East have ground to a halt, while flights to destinations that need to go through that region’s airspace are also being affected.

Cathy Burke, managing director of Travel Counsellors Ireland, makes the point that if the Department of Foreign Affairs says not to travel to this region, “it makes your travel insurance null and void. 

"That is why we are pointing people in another direction; we have a family coming home from Australia next month but, instead of going through Dubai, they will be coming via Los Angeles. There are other ways of getting places.”

By and large, Irish holidaymakers are avoiding the troubled region.

Cruises

Aside from the popular European sunspots, Randles says they’re seeing “good interest in the Caribbean”, while cruises too continue to thrive.

In fact, Burke says there is great value to be got in cruise holidays now. “There’s amazing value out there. I certainly haven’t seen a summer like this in my lifetime, particularly for cruises. 

"We believe the reason for this is that a lot of Americans are cutting their European cruises and replacing them with Caribbean cruises. The cancellations mean we’re seeing amazing value right now.”

Fuel supplies

As well as rising costs and geopolitical tensions, fuel shortages were also a cause for concern among Irish holidaymakers, according to Randles, who says this is beginning to ease now as Aer Lingus and Ryanair moved to assure the market that “fuel supplies are not an issue”.

He adds that both carriers are driving down their prices in a bid to encourage holidaymakers to book now. 

Indeed, Ryanair launched a “quick-fire summer sale” in early May as it tries to reignite the market. This is good news for Irish families, say experts, not just because of the value but the reassurance on fuel.

All of this uncertainty and volatility must be seen as a boon to travel agents, who are required by EU law to recompense holidaymakers in the event their break needs to be changed or cancelled.

“If you book a package with any travel agent who’s licensed in Ireland and something happens with the flights or accommodation, we are obliged under EU regulation to either find an alternative or offer a refund. That means it’s very little risk to the customer,” explains Burke.

Book early

The overall message for holidaymakers is that there is value out there.

“Our advice to Irish holidaymakers is to book early where possible to get what they want. One of the key advantages of that is that customers can secure the best choice and pricing with just a deposit, while also locking in the cost of their holiday upfront.

"That gives consumers reassurance and protection against any potential price increases closer to departure, so there is no need to worry about the price of their holiday going up for any reason whatsoever once they have paid their deposit,” says Denton.

“We would also encourage customers to book with a trusted Irish travel company that can provide real support and reassurance throughout the process.”