Generali Global Assistance this week announced the United States findings of 2021 “Holiday Barometer”—the 20th anniversary of the annual poll sponsored by its parent company, Europ Assistance, and conducted by the consumer research firm Ipsos.
Based on the survey of 1,000 Americans, the pandemic is still making Americans weary of travel. There is a noticeable drop in summer travel plans with only 50 percent of respondents indicating they will be taking a summer vacation in 2021 (down 18 points from 2019’s pre-pandemic levels). Americans indicated they expect travel to return to normal, with no masks or other COVID-19 related precautions, in 2022.
Upcoming Travel Plans
Half of respondents are planning to travel during the months of July through September coinciding with summer vacation in the U.S. That said, travel budgets slipped slightly in the United States; Americans are expected to spend $2,319 this year, which is just a 2 percent drop from the $2,373 budgeted in 2019.
While almost half of Americans surveyed have not decided on a summer destination, those who have are favoring domestic travel over international travel. Regardless of location, however, Americans have indicated they are heading to the beach, selecting it as their top destination across all age groups.
Travel Protection
Good news: American’s interest in travel insurance is increasing, now at 37 percent, but this still lags behind other markets. Americans heading overseas are much more likely to purchase a policy than those traveling domestically. In addition, parents are showing an increased desire for travel insurance when compared with those without children.
The “Holiday Barometer” also shows that the likelihood of purchasing travel insurance has a regional component among U.S. respondents. Residents in the Northeast and the West are more likely to purchase travel insurance than those who identified as living in the Midwest and the South.
Survey Methodology: The 2021 edition of the Holiday Barometer from Europ Assistance and Ipsos was conducted in 14 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, China and Thailand. In each country, 1,000 consumers aged 18 years and older took part in an online questionnaire. The survey was conducted between May 5 and 20.
Source: Generali Global Assistance
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