Brits believe vaccinations should be mandatory for travel and insurance

The research includes insights on how many Brits are planning on going abroad, opinions on vaccination passports, desired destinations, and travel insurance. It revealed that two fifths (42 per cent) of Brits think that proof of Covid-19 vaccination should be mandatory for overseas travel, and that a majority (66 per cent) won’t consider a foreign holiday at all this year.

Key findings of the report include:

• While most (66 per cent) Brits won’t consider a foreign holiday this year, a third (34 per cent) are determined to go abroad
• 33 per cent say that their next holiday is going to be closer to home than usual (e.g. UK staycation or a European country)
• Spain tops the holiday wishlist with almost twice as many Brits wanting to holiday there than the second most popular destination, Greece
• 42 per cent think that proof of Covid-19 vaccination should be mandatory for overseas travel
• 28 per cent of people think that travel insurance should only be valid for travellers who have been double-jabbed

A third of UK travellers don’t take out insurance

It was also found that 16 per cent had already booked a holiday for 2021, while one in 10 (nine per cent) have cancelled a holiday for this year but intend to book another, and nine per cent haven’t booked a break yet but are planning to. When it came to destinations, the traditional hotspots haven’t shifted much since previous years, with Spain (22 per cent) topping the list, followed by Greece (13 per cent) and Italy (13 per cent).

Despite the uncertainty that surrounds foreign travel this year, almost a third (29 per cent) of travellers fail to always take out travel insurance when they holiday abroad. When asked why they didn’t always take out travel insurance, respondents said:

• It’s too expensive (30 per cent)
• I don’t need it (26 per cent)
• I already have travel insurance with my bank account/credit card (21 per cent)
• It’s too much hassle (21 per cent)
• It’s pointless because insurers don’t pay out (19 per cent)
• I forget (18 per cent)

Kevin Pratt, Travel Insurance Expert at Forbes Advisor UK, said: “People are understandably desperate to enjoy a foreign holiday this year, and we’ve already seen that, when restrictions are lifted, people flock abroad to soak up the sun and unwind. Now that the UK and many popular holiday destinations, supported by the ongoing success of the vaccine rollout, are moving to a position of living with the virus, a further easing of travel restrictions seems increasingly likely.

“Travel insurance is a vital addition to any holiday. Industry figures show that 87 per cent of travel insurance claims are accepted. That’s welcome reassurance for those looking to protect their plans as they prepare for their trip.”

Meanwhile, with many people planning summer staycations in the UK, data from LV=General Insurance highlights the importance of taking out travel insurance, even for holidays at home.