Why travelers should consider travel insurance for their end-of-summer vacations.
NEW YORK – Labor Day for many marks the end of summer, and according to sales data from TravelInsurance.com, a top travel insurance comparison site, American travelers are planning to spend those last vacation days on long trips across the U.S. and Canada and in the U.K., Ireland and Italy.
According to TravelInsurance.com, the United States is still the most popular destination for Labor Day getaways due to its affordability. The average trip in the U.S. costs just under $2,800 per person and averages 12 days. Travelers heading to Canada are spending the most, with an average cost of $3,700 per person and an average duration of 11 days. Bargain-seeking travelers are taking advantage of off-season deals, spending less than $1,500 per person for week-long stays in the Caribbean and Mexico.
Additional vacation breakdowns can be seen below:
|
Destination |
Average Trip Duration |
Average Cost per Person |
|
United States |
12 days |
$2,794 |
|
Italy |
14 days |
$3,260 |
|
United Kingdom |
15 days |
$3,336 |
|
Canada |
11 days |
$3,759 |
|
Ireland |
14 days |
$3,481 |
|
Lowest Cost Regions |
||
|
Caribbean |
8 days |
$1,414 |
|
Mexico |
7 days |
$1,047 |
"Any type of summer travel deserves careful consideration for travel insurance," says Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com and a respected authority on travel insurance in the U.S. "Unexpected cancellations of expensive trips can mean big losses. And the same goes for lower-cost trips to hurricane-prone regions such as the Caribbean. Travel insurance can provide coverage for unexpected cancellations as well as 24/7 global assistance while traveling."
For those still wondering, "Should I buy travel insurance?" here's a list of the top three reasons to insure your next trip:
- Protect Your Wallet: Trip protection benefits are plan-specific, but they may cover the cost of a trip that was canceled due to an unforeseen illness or injury, travel disruptions caused by severe weather or terrorist events, loss or change of employment, or for personal, unspecified reasons (via Cancel For Any Reason coverage). In addition, trip delay protection can cover the cost of hotels, meals and transportation due to covered delays or cancelled flights.
- Protect Your Health: Travel medical benefits in most travel insurance plans will provide coverage for unexpected sickness or injuries that occur during a trip. Most travelers assume their home health insurance plans will cover them while traveling, which may not be the case. TravelInsurance.com always recommends travelers check with their health insurance providers for coverage areas. Travel medical insurance can provide coverage where existing health plans leave off. Most travel insurance plans also provide coverage for emergency medical evacuations if a destination is not equipped to handle a medical emergency.
- Protect Your Things: If your luggage is delayed, lost, damaged or stolen while you're traveling, travel insurance can reimburse you for the replacement or repair of many of your items based on the limits in your insurance policy. This may include carry-on luggage, which can prove to be even more important because airlines are not usually required to reimburse people if something happens to their carry-on luggage.
"Vacations are for creating memorable life experiences, which shouldn't include dealing with travel disasters. But when the unexpected happens, travel insurance can help minimize the cost and help you get right back into vacation mode," said Sandberg. "For the price of a round-trip Uber to the airport or a family meal on vacation, travel insurance can add peace of mind to your next holiday getaway."
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
