The Big Holiday Re-Think for Irish Holidaymakers in 2026
New research from Irish travel insurance provider, JustCover, today reveals the scale of changes to longer-term travel plans of Irish holidaymakers because of conflict and uncertainty in the Middle East.
The JustCover survey explored the top choice holiday destinations for Irish adults for the year ahead. Whilst 7% of respondents said they had considered a holiday to the Gulf region (before the outbreak of war), a significantly higher number – 29% of Irish holidaymakers – had planned a long-haul trip this year to a country that would usually involve having a stop-over in the Gulf for a connecting flight (destinations including Japan, East Asia, The Pacific, Australia and New Zealand).
Over the last two weeks, JustCover has offered added flexibility, where travel plans may originally have involved flying over, or getting connecting flights in, the region.
For people re-thinking their choice holiday destinations for 2026, JustCover’s data reveals that Southern Europe remains the top choice for an overseas holiday this year (45%), with an uptick in the percentage of people now considering a break in northern Europe (24%), whilst 21% are considering the merits of The Caribbean (21%) as a holiday destination.
Peter Clark, Director at JustCover Travel Insurance comments: “Our thoughts at this moment are with those families with loved ones stuck in the Middle East and we strongly recommend anyone with booked travel plans to check the latest Department of Foreign Affairs travel advice for their destination and stop-overs before they travel.”
“Looking beyond the serious and immediate travel challenges, there is also a longer-term consideration for Irish people that were planning or have booked a holiday for later in the year - to South east Asia, Japan or Australia, which may have involved a stop-over in the Gulf for a connecting flight. There are probably a lot of people right now thinking about their Easter or Summer holiday and whether they will re-book, re-plan their flight through a different route, cancel, or consider alternative holiday destinations”
Discover more about JustCover at: https://www.justcover.ie
For more information or to arrange interviews, contact:
Guy Bellamy: guy@elephantcommunications.co.uk
Dan Wide: dan@elephantcommunications.co.uk
The research was conducted for JustCover by The Omnibus Group in February 2026, among a representative sample of 300 Irish adults.
Just Cover’s full travel update can be viewed here:
https://help.justcover.ie/hc/en-gb/articles/44324398905745-Travel-Update-Middle-East-Disruption
About JustCover
Established in 2003, JustCover is a trusted Irish travel insurance provider, dedicated to offering straightforward and reliable coverage for travellers of all ages and health backgrounds. With over two decades of experience, JustCover provides policies designed to meet the diverse needs of its customers, ensuring peace of mind on every journey.
As a specialist in medical travel insurance, JustCover covers is passionate about enabling people to obtain specialist travel insurance whatever their pre-existing medical conditions or age. The policies cover more than 1,300 pre-existing medical conditions, including asthma, diabetes, heart conditions and cancer.
JustCover’s policies are underwritten by Zurich Insurance Europe AG and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, reflecting the company’s commitment to high standards of service and reliability.