More Consumers Interested in Travel Insurance than Pre-Pandemic

Search for travel insurance has increased by 70% since 2019, according to research by Conductor, an organic marketing platform that tracks travel-related keywords.

Based on research conducted specifically for Travel Market Report, 710,000 searches were conducted for “travel insurance” in March 2019. In April, 2022, there were more than 1.2 million searches.

Since April of 2021 the increase has been even more dramatic with search volume for travel insurance terms going up 287% year over year. The top searches consisted of “cruise travel insurance” and “cruise insurance,” both of which are up more than 800% year over year.

Other top keywords related to travel insurance searches in April 2022 included “international travel medical insurance,” “travel insurance international,” and “flight insurance.”

“The pandemic was unexpected for many and shifted our perspective on how we manage risk and the chances we’re willing to take,” Patrick Reinhart, vice president of customer success at Conductor told Travel Market Report.  “While some travelers may opt out, the increased interest in travel insurance shows us that consumers have become more risk-averse when it comes to long-distance or expensive travel and are willing to spend extra money ahead of time to avoid the possibility of a trip getting canceled without a refund.”

Flight Cancellation Searches
Conductor found a similar uptick in searches for flight cancellations, representing the unease many consumers are feeling about carriers canceling their flights last minute. For instance, over a one-week period in early April, the term “flight cancellations this weekend” saw a 1,050% increase in search demand, while “why so many flight cancellations today” saw a 500% increase in search demand.

Having travel insurance can help ease the minds of consumers who are worried about committing to vacation purchases at a time when airlines are canceling flights on a regular basis.

“This past year’s positive increase in search interest for travel insurance points to a consumer demand for security, as many have been cautious due to the cancellations and unexpected nature of pandemic travel,” Reinhart said.  “This spike indicates that many of these travelers may be planning their first long-distance or international trips since the beginning of the pandemic and are looking for reassurance that they won’t lose their money.

Travel advisors would be remiss to not prioritize recommending insurance as a key, peace-of-mind element of vacation packages.”