The demand for travel insurance around Christmas can be quite high, as many people make full use of the Bank Holiday days and beef up their annual leave allocation. Apart from the volcano in Iceland potentially causing some flight diversions or cancellations, it looks like a good idea to grab a last minute winter break.
Here’s some info from Staysure;
The pre-Christmas period is the most popular time for festive travel, new research has revealed. Nearly half (47%) of people traveling for Christmas do so between December 22nd and Christmas Eve, with the post-Christmas days coming a distant second place. While just over a quarter of people (27%) were travelling between Christmas and New Year, just 16% were doing so to ring in the New Year abroad. The most common reason for travelling was spending time with family abroad (39%), while nearly one in three (31%) were after a change in scenery.
Winter sunshine instead of lashing rain or gloomy short days? Yep, another good reason to pack your bags. The research by Staysure also found that Spain and the Canary Islands were the most popular destination for winter holidays (20%). The top destinations for holidays this winter are The Canary Islands and Spain, with Australia a close third. Popular city-break destinations like France and Germany are also in the top ten, as well as long-haul choices like India and New Zealand.
Winter travel was most popular amongst Gen X, who picked Switzerland and Italy as their favourite destinations – potentially heading off on skiing and other winter sports trips. By contrast, 44% of over-55s were planning to stay home, highlighting a potential travel gap between generations, with older family members choosing to holiday outside of popular periods.
Among other reasons for travel were the pressures of the Christmas period, with nearly one in five (18%) saying they were jetting off to avoid family stress, and just over one in ten (12%) leaving Christmas commercialism, such as adverts and presents, behind. Of those who don’t have festive travel plans, more than half (51%) said they don’t have any desire to travel at Christmas, while 33% said it was too expensive – rising to 42% for those aged between 35 and 44. Similarly, 12% said they were saving up for a main holiday during the summer period.
Nearly one-fifth (19%) of those travelling had said they’d taken out insurance despite not usually doing so, pointing to the impact that recent disruptions, over the summer and beyond, have had on consumer confidence. 4% of those travelling said they couldn’t afford to take out travel insurance despite having booked a break, highlighting how some might prioritise paying for a holiday itself above ‘added extras’ like an insurance policy.
Ryan Howsam, founder and CEO of Staysure, said:
“Christmas is always a busy period, and this year looks set to be no different. Whether you’re travelling to Barbados or Dubai for some well-earned winter sun, or heading to Spain to see family, it’s important to make sure you’ve got the correct cover. It’s heartening to see people taking insurance out when they might not usually do so – Christmas is an expensive time as it is, and most people can’t afford to lose thousands of pounds on hospital bills.
“At Staysure, we have a range of policies to suit all budgets, covering medical emergencies, cancellation, baggage and even cover for gadgets. All customers should be able travel with confidence, no matter when (or where!) they’re jetting off.”
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