Allianz Partners Customers Gain Confidence to Travel, With More than Half
Expecting To Resume Pre-COVID-19 Cruise Levels by End of 2021
Richmond, VA, August 16, 2021 – A new survey of Allianz Partners customers found they are growing more bullish on future travel plans. The travel insurance and assistance provider found that two-thirds of its customers plan to take a trip between now and November, and that a majority feel confident in resuming pre-COVID activity levels for travel, including a return to cruising by the end of 2021. The number of customers planning trips in 2021 tripled in July, compared to those in February who wereplanning trips for later this year.
According to Allianz Partners USA’s survey*, 66% of customers anticipate traveling in the next three months (by the end of October). Comparatively, when asked the same question in a similar survey in February 2021, 22% of customers felt they would travel within that same timeframe. Additionally, uncertainty over future travel has dropped by more than half, with just 7% of customers responding in the July survey they were not sure when they would next travel, versus 21% in February.
When asked how long it would take to feel confident enough to resume travel at ‘pre-COVID-19 activity levels,’ a majority of respondents cited they were ‘confident now’ about staying in a hotel (84%), flying on an airplane (79%), staying in a rental property (78%) and traveling on a train (70%). Four in 10 (39%) customers said they were confident now about taking a cruise, with a higher citation among customers from the travel advisor retail channel customers, where 47% responded they were confident about taking a cruise now. More than half (53%) of respondents would feel comfortable to resume their ‘normal’ cruise activity levels by the end of 2021.
The survey revealed that customers plan to fly (67%, down from 71%) or drive (19%, down from 20%) to reach their destination, and cruising received a boost with 11% who plan to travel by cruise ship, compared to 7% in February. When asked about the effect COVID-19 has had on customers’ comfort level to take a cruise, almost a quarter (24%) indicated it has not impacted their comfort level, and of those who said they were less comfortable, 72% still plan to cruise again.
Allianz’s survey also revealed that domestic travel is the trip choice du jour for customers’ next trips, with more than half (55%) planning to stay within the continental United States. Mexico, the Caribbean and Hawaii continue as the second most popular options (24%, up from 21% in February), and 15% of customers indicated they would travel to Europe (up from 14% in February).
The purpose for taking a trip has also shifted slightly: the survey found that 72% of respondents, up from 65% in February, said the purpose of taking a trip was to ‘take a vacation,’ with all “trips” defined in the survey as a stay, for at least two nights, at a destination more than 100 miles from home. The next most common response, to ‘visit friends or family,’ dropped to less than a quarter (24%) in July from 28% in February.
“Americans are regaining ground on travel confidence, and our latest survey revealed that two thirds of our customers plan to take a trip by November,” said Daniel Durazo, Director of Marketing and Communications at Allianz Partners USA. “Confidence and certainty around travel is returning, and we’re seeing customers rebound to pre-pandemic interest levels, which has the potential to fuel travel enthusiasm into 2022.”
Although Allianz travel insurance products** generally do not cover known, foreseeable, or expected events, epidemics, government prohibitions, warnings or travel advisories, or fear of travel, earlier this year Allianz Partners USA announced the rollout of its new Epidemic Coverage Endorsement, which adds enhancements for new purchasers of some of its travel insurance products that may provide coverage to customers who become ill with COVID-19 or a future epidemic, are individually ordered to quarantine,*** or are denied boarding due to a suspected illness. This new coverage formalizes and adds to some of the temporary accommodations the company put into place in March 2020 to assist travelers who had been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Allianz offers travel insurance through several major U.S. airlines, leading travel agents, online travel agencies, other travel suppliers and directly to consumers. For more information, please visit http://www.allianztravelinsurance.com.
# # #
About Allianz Partners
Allianz Partners (AGA Service Company) is a leading consumer specialty insurance and assistance company with operation centers in 35 countries. In the United States, the company offers Allianz Travel-branded travel protection plans and serves over 45 million customers annually. In addition to travel insurance, the company offers tuition insurance, event ticket protection, registration protection for endurance events and unique travel assistance services such as international medical assistance and concierge services. The company also serves as an outsource provider for in-bound call center services and claims administration for property and casualty insurers and credit card companies.