- The survey of 1,068 respondents found 41pc have not booked their 2026 holiday.
- Among those yet to book, 68pc stated increased costs influenced their decisions.
- Geopolitical concerns influenced 38pc of respondents, down from 48pc in March.
- Sun holidays accounted for 56pc of planned holidays, cruises 19pc.
- Average sun holiday prices rose 5pc, with accommodation up 9pc and airfares down 2pc.
Almost four in ten, or 41pc of Irish consumers, have not booked their 2026 holiday, according to the latest Travel Sentiment Survey from Click&Go Holidays. The nationwide survey of 1,068 respondents found that 31pc have already secured their 2026 getaway. Among those yet to book, September emerged as the most popular booking month at 26pc, followed by October to December at 20pc. A further 7pc plan to book in July, while 12pc expect to book in August.
Among those who have yet to book, almost seven in ten (68pc) stated increased costs were influencing when and how they book their holiday. Global events continued to impact consumer confidence, with 38pc of respondents saying geopolitical conflicts and global instability were highly influencing their travel decisions. This represented an improvement from March when 48pc cited geopolitical concerns as a major influence. Cost pressures remained a consideration, with 37pc of respondents saying the increased cost of living in Ireland had a major impact on their holiday planning, unchanged from March.
Overseas travel continued to dominate Irish holiday plans, with more than half (56pc) of respondents intending to take a traditional sun holiday in 2026. Cruises accounted for 19pc of planned holidays, while city breaks accounted for 14pc. Just 2pc of respondents intended to holiday within Ireland, a drop from 11pc recorded in the previous survey.
Click&Go Holidays reported that average sun holiday prices had increased by approximately 5pc compared with last year, with accommodation costs rising by an average of 9pc while average airfares fell by 2pc. A recent TUI survey found bookings within two weeks of travel had increased by a third this summer.
Paul Hackett, CEO of Click&Go Holidays, shared, “Irish people continue to place enormous value on their annual holiday, but they’re becoming increasingly strategic about when they book and how they manage their travel budget. Whilst the recent spell of good weather has seen a slowdown in late booking for travel in the next few weeks, the focus on booking from September onwards speaks to the fact that Irish consumers know the good weather is unlikely to last indefinitely.”
