Agents crucial to insurance uptake
A survey by Australian travel insurer SureSave has found that three-quarters of Australians view travel agents as a trusted source of travel and safety advice – an increase on the 57 per cent that thought the same in 2012. The latest survey also showed that this year, 40 per cent of Australians booked their last leisure trip with a travel agent, whether that was in store, over the phone or via email. “Travellers are still turning to agents for their travel booking and insurance needs, but not because they view agents as the default booking option,” Ross McDonald, SureSave’s general manager for distribution, commented. “They’re coming back to agents time and time again as they genuinely seek and value the level of knowledge and expertise that agents offer.”
In 2017, 53 per cent of respondents purchased travel insurance ‘at the same time as booking their holiday’, in comparison to only 37 per cent in 2012. “We can attribute this marked improvement in part to the efforts of agents to educate their customers,” McDonald said. “Of the respondents who booked travel plans through an agent, 86 per cent revealed that their agent had explained the benefits of purchasing travel insurance at the same time as booking their travel plans. In terms of ensuring that travellers are informed and well-prepared in advance of their holiday, the role of the agent is crucial and is becoming more important each year. We’re passionate about ensuring that agents are well-equipped with the right information and tools so their customers are able to choose the travel insurance policy that’s right for them.”