ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. July 8, 2020 – The effects of COVID-19 have changed travel for the foreseeable future.
According to data from travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth.com, travelers’ post-COVID-19 concerns have impacted their travel behavior.
Travelers Purchasing Cancellation Coverage
Travelers looking for coverage to cancel are showing caution and doubt following COVID-19, booking shorter trips further in the future compared to last year.
- Travelers purchased their policies 5 months prior to their departure, 48% further out than last year.
- Travelers are taking shorter trips than last year, only traveling for an average of 13 days.
![Graph showing the Average Trip Length 2019 vs 2020 for Emergency Medical and Cancellation Style Policies](https://d1a85ew9886hk0.cloudfront.net/squaremouth.com/sites/4/travel-insurance-trip-length-2019-2020-1.jpg)
- Travelers are spending 24% more on international trips this year, and 18% more on domestic trips.
![Graph showing the Average Trip Cost 2019 vs 2020 in US Dollars for Domestic Trips and International Trips](https://d1a85ew9886hk0.cloudfront.net/squaremouth.com/sites/4/travel-insurance-trip-cost-2019-2020-1.jpg)
Travelers Purchasing Emergency Medical Coverage
As travel suppliers are offering fully refundable trips, travelers taking advantage of those deals are only looking for medical travel insurance.
- These travelers are taking trips over a month-long on average, traveling 62% longer than last year.
- Travelers are purchasing policies earlier, an average of 55 days prior to departure, compared to just 26 days in 2019.
![Graph showing the Average Time Between Purchase and Departure 2019 vs 2020 for Emergency Medical and Cancellation Style Policies](https://d1a85ew9886hk0.cloudfront.net/squaremouth.com/sites/4/travel-insurance-average-time-2019-2020-1.jpg)
View Squaremouth’s previous report on how COVID-19 has changed where travelers are going.
Methodology: Data is based on all travel insurance policies purchased through Squaremouth.com between January 21-June 21, 2020. Statistics reflect year-over-year changes unless otherwise noted.