4 new holiday travel trends revealed
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As droves of US tourists prepare to travel this holiday season, travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth.com says the lingering impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic are evident in their booking behaviour.
Squaremouth analyzed data from thousands of policies purchased for travel between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve to identify four new trends this holiday season.
1. Covid concerns top of mind (and on the rise) – Coverage for Covid-19 related concerns has dominated travel insurance sales since the onset of the pandemic. 34% of travellers on Squaremouth.com specifically sought out Covid coverage for trips this holiday season. This is the highest level of interest in Covid coverage that Squaremouth has seen, and is an increase from 21% during the 2020 holiday travel season.
2. Number of insured travellers quadruples – Earlier this year, Squaremouth reported insuring more travellers than prior to the pandemic. This holiday season, the comparison engine has insured 300% more travellers than last year, and 70% more than 2019.
“Interest and awareness surrounding travel insurance are at an all-time high as we approach the busy holiday travel season,” said Megan Moncrief, chief marketing officer for Squaremouth. “Travelers are preparing differently this year by opting for travel insurance, to protect themselves in case travel plans are affected by unpredictable events from cancellations to illnesses.”
3. Caribbean destinations outpace European countries as most popular – Despite additional borders opening to US tourists, Caribbean destinations that have largely remained open throughout the pandemic continue to attract the most travellers.
This holiday season, 8 out of Squaremouth’s top 10 international destinations are Caribbean countries, with the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, and the US Virgin Islands joining the list for the first time.
4. Travellers are Cautiously Confident Traveling Internationally – Prior to the pandemic, close to 90% of trips booked for holiday travel were to international destinations. While border closures forced many travellers to stay stateside last year, Squaremouth reports a 326% increase in the number of US tourists travelling internationally this holiday season.
Travellers can quote, compare, and buy travel insurance for their holiday travel on Squaremouth.com. Squaremouth sells over 90 plans from 20+ providers and offers the largest portfolio of products offering coverage related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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