Travel insurance sales up after coronavirus

The biggest surge of sales is to cover Easter and summer holidays, as travellers are getting the message to buy insurance early.

Sally Jacques at GoCompare Travel Insurance said: “Travellers are definitely getting the message to buy insurance well ahead of their trip – the largest spike in sales is for policies to cover journeys between one month and six months ahead, covering trips over Easter and the summer holidays. Buying travel cover shouldn’t just be a box-ticking exercise where the cheapest policy will do.”

Coronavirus is currently classed as an epidemic, which might be covered by some travel insurance policies. It might also be covered under travel disruption as a result of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) restrictions or cancellation due to FCO guidelines. Around half of travel policies cover cancellation due to compulsory quarantine.

Jacques says: “We’re expecting more people to consider ‘staycations’ rather than flying abroad for holidays due to the ongoing risk. And with searches for ‘UK holidays’ increasing by 119 per cent from December – before coronavirus was reported – to now, this certainly seems to be the trend.”