Making pour choices: how alcohol could affect your travel insurance

But it could void your travel insurance.

TravelInsurance.com.au found more than a third of 1,000 Aussies they surveyed admitted to drinking more than usual while they were away.

One in three said they had an extra 3-4 drinks a day on top of their usual consumption and one in 10 had five or more additional drinks per day.

But TravelInsurance.com.au CEO Shaun McGowan warned that over-indulging could have serious implications for your travel insurance, maybe even voiding it.

"If you have an accident overseas and there's any hint that alcohol was involved, your insurer could deny your travel insurance claim, and you'll be left to foot the medical or hospital bill, even if it wasn't all your fault," he said.

"With the cost of overseas medical care running into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, it's simply not worth the risk.

"We urge Aussies to drink responsibly while overseas and to always check the fine print of their travel insurance policy before they go."

He explained most travel insurance policies had alcohol-related exclusions. Even if you were pickpocketed and alcohol was involved your insurer could reject your claim.

The report showed millennials were the most likely to drink more than usual on holidays at 45 per cent, followed by Gen X at 35 per cent, Gen Z at 29 per cent and baby boomers the least likely at 26 per cent.

Not everyone is going crazy, though. According to the survey, almost 20 per cent of people said they didn't drink at all on holidays, while around 40 per cent said they drank the same amount as they did at home.

The countries where the insurance company viewed the riskiest behaviours with their clients were Indonesia, followed by Thailand and then the US.

According to a recent survey by Flight Centre, almost three-quarters of Aussie travellers said they would consider taking a holiday with no alcohol.

Overall, women were more likely than men to say they would consider taking a holiday that involves no alcohol (77 per cent compared to 70 per cent), and gen Z were the generation most likely to take a booze-free holiday.

A 2024 report from StudentUniverse - a subsidiary of Flight Centre - found young Aussies were becoming less likely to drink while overseas.

Only 21 per cent of young people aged 18-25 prioritised clubbing and partying while overseas, with 66 per cent saying the possibility of getting into unsafe situations would put them off drinking alcohol while on vacation.

Respondents were 18-25 years old in full-time education, living in the four countries StudentUniverse operates in - Australia, the US, Canada and the UK, with 1500 from each market.

Global brand manager Will Jones said: "Gen Z travellers are for the most part increasingly culturally aware, open to more meaningful experiences and willing to dig a bit deeper into the places they visit."

In March 2025, the Australian Government's Smartraveller launched a campaign to raise awareness and educate Australians of the signs of methanol poisoning, drink spiking and broader alcohol safety.

This followed the tragic deaths of two best friends from Victoria - Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles - from methanol poisoning while on holiday in Laos in late 2024.