Are the days of taking a 2-week European adventure gone for good? Perhaps for a while as staying closer to home is the current new norm and being insured is a good idea.

It appears international border closures and travel bans have certainly led more Americans to travel within the United States.

With domestic travel rising in popularity, travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth shares what travelers need to know before heading out of state.

Get Covered

Domestic travelers concerned that contracting COVID-19 will impact their trip can find coverage from select travel insurance policies.

Despite high coronavirus cases in some states, travelers can still purchase a policy that includes cancellation coverage in the event they contract coronavirus before departure. Travelers can search for policies that may include cancellation or medical coverage for contracting coronavirus from 14 providers, according to a news release from Squaremouth.

Quarantine Requirements Not Covered Reason to Cancel

Some travelers are surprised to learn their destination state requires a quarantine period on arrival, some up to 14 days. However, these requirements do not trigger trip cancellation benefits.

Travelers who no longer wish to travel because they will have to quarantine at their destination will not be covered to cancel under a standard policy.

COVID-19 Concerns Covered by Cancel for Any Reason

The Cancel for Any Reason upgrade offers the most extensive cancellation coverage, making it the best option for travelers who have most concerns related to COVID-19, including changing travel regulations, flight cancellations due to lack of passengers, or accommodations canceling reservations due to COVID-19.

With this upgrade, travelers can cancel their trips 2-3 days before departure and receive 75% reimbursement of their pre-paid, non-refundable trip cost.

Younger Travelers

Squaremouth also reports a drastic decline in travel by older generations, as younger travelers have become the most insured demographic in the US amid COVID-19.

Before the pandemic, most insured trips were for the 50 and above age bracket. Now, 60% of travelers purchasing travel insurance are under the age of 50.

“We have never seen younger travelers driving the majority of travel insurance purchases before,” said Megan Moncrief, CMO of Squaremouth in the news release. “Historically, the typical travel insurance customer was retired, with time and money to travel, taking expensive and longer international trips.”

Surprisingly, it is the youngest generation of travelers, age 21 and under, that are responsible for the majority of travel insurance purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Travelers 21 and under account for roughly a quarter of all travelers purchasing travel insurance since May.
  • Before the pandemic began in January, this young generation made up just 11%.

All Generations Have Same Top Concerns

Despite age differences, travelers share the same main concerns across the board.

  • Coverage for the coronavirus pandemic and Cancel for Any Reason were top of mind for all generations.
  • In July, 40% of travelers purchased a policy that specifically included cancellation or medical coverage in the event they contract COVID-19 or are quarantined.
  • Since February, 20% of all policies purchased include the pricey but extensive Cancel for Any Reason upgrade, a 210% increase compared to last year.

Methodology: Data is based on travel insurance policies purchased through Squaremouth.com from January – July 2020 for all future travel. Statistics reflect month-over-month changes unless otherwise noted.

Source: Squaremouth