Almost 1 in 4 Irish people have been forced to cancel a holiday at the last minute due to an emergency or change in circumstances according to AA Travel Insurance.
24.02% of over 3,000 respondents to an AA Travel Insurance survey stated that they had cancelled a holiday because of an emergency, with 4.91% forced to cancel a holiday within the past 12 months. An additional 4.38% and 4.05% of those surveyed had cancelled a holiday because of an emergency within the last 3 and 5 years respectively, while 10.68% of respondents had been forced to scrap a trip abroad over 5 years ago.
“Holidays are meant to be an opportunity for us to relax, but unfortunately sometimes life throws something at us which can get in the way of that. When you see that 1 in 4 people have had to cancel a holiday at the last minute at some stage in their lives it underlines how important it is to have travel insurance in place,” Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs stated. “When you add up the costs of accommodation and flights you could be left with a significant hole in your wallet if you have to cancel a holiday because of an emergency. Having travel cover in place, however, will help ensure you don’t experience any negative consequences of having to cancel the holiday other than missing out on some sunshine.”
Personal illness, illnesses affecting family members or travel companions and having to attend a funeral were the top reasons for cancelled holidays, according to the AA.
26.42% of those who had cancelled a holiday in the past stated it was due to an illness affecting a family member or close friend, while 25.59% had to cancel a holiday after falling ill themselves. Meanwhile, a further 23.91% of holiday-goers had to cancel their plans because of a funeral, while almost 1 in 10 (9.03%) of those surveyed were forced to abandon their holiday because of a change in work commitments.
“When you compare the cost of travel insurance to the bill you could be left with because of a last minute cancellation it becomes clear that travel cover is one of the smartest investments you can make. This is especially true if you’re a regular traveller as annual travel cover is very affordable and means that you’re covered for your main holiday, work trips and everything in between,” Faughnan added. “Even if you’re only an occasional traveller, however, purchasing travel cover will mean that you can enjoy a stress-free holiday and that you won’t be left counting your pennies for the next few months if a sudden illness forced you to cancel.”
The survey also found that 1.84% of those who had cancelled a holiday did so because of a falling out with their travel partner, while 1.17% of abandoned holidays were the result of unexpected unemployment.
Planning on heading abroad in the near future? AA Travel Insurance is available online from as low as €24.99
