35% of UK holidaymakers say wildfires in Europe this summer have forced them to change their plans (Image: Getty)
Thousands of residents and tourists have been forced to flee as raging wildfires sweep across France, Spain, and Portugal. More than 300,000 people have been displaced from their homes since mid-July as emergency crews continue to battle the devastating blazes. Millions of UK holidaymakers are now reconsidering their summer travel plans as wildfires sweep across parts of Europe, with Spain and France among the destinations feeling the biggest impact according to brand new research.
At the end of July 2026, InsureandGo polled a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults to understand how their views on holidays abroad for the rest of the summer had been influenced by the outbreak of wildfires in various regions across Europe. The new research found that while the majority of holidaymakers (65%) said they would not be changing their plans and only 6% said they had cancelled their holiday abroad, more than a third (35%) have been prompted to rethink their summer travel arrangements due to wildfires across Europe.
35% of UK holidaymakers said wildfires in Europe this summer have forced them to change their holiday plans: 13% of those who have made a change said they will switch to a different European destination, 13% will switch to a country outside Europe – while 10% have changed the date of their trip (or intend to).
Wildfires have been raging across Europe (Image: Getty)
The locations most affected by people changing holiday plans due to the wildfires were Spain (20%) and France (18%) – although the InsureandGo data suggests the ripple-effect has been felt more broadly across Europe. UK holidaymakers said they had also made changes to holidays that were booked for Turkey (10%), Italy (10%), Portugal (9%) and Greece (8%).
Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at InsureandGo, said that British holidaymakers should be more aware of the risks associated with extreme weather events.
He warned: “InsureandGo’s tracking data reveals that, every summer since 2024, at least one in five people say they have experienced forest fires or wildfires first-hand when abroad; an indication that people are now seeing extreme heat – and the need to navigate associated risks – as a regular occurrence, a new normal, each summer.
“This means UK holidaymakers need to put safety higher up the agenda when planning summer holidays. They need to revisit the importance of getting comprehensive travel insurance and be very clear about what the policy they choose does and does not cover.”
Based on overseas travel experiences, 73% of UK adults now say they have experienced first-hand the noticeable effects of climate change and pollution when abroad.
Of these people, 21% have experienced forest fires or wildfires abroad, 47% have experienced extreme heat and 29% poor air quality. A further 25% have noticed warmer seas and 16% say they have experience drought conditions when abroad during recent summer holidays.
The popularity of short-haul European holidays has climbed from 44% last year to 51% this summer, with the countries experiencing wildfires among the most popular destinations.
Prior to schools breaking up for summer, InsureandGo’s May research revealed that Spain remained Britain’s favourite European destination for summer 2026, chosen by 40% of those heading to Europe. This was followed by Italy (22%), France (21%), Greece (18%), Portugal (16%), the Mediterranean islands (14%), Turkey (12%), Germany (11%), the Netherlands (8%) and Switzerland (7%).
Younger travellers (aged 25-34) say they are most likely to be changing plans – switching to a non-European destination (16%), while the over 55s are most likely to be holding firm with plans – still travelling as planned, both to countries currently unaffected by wildfires (31%) and to those currently affected by wildfires (24%).
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
