Brits book summer holidays early
According to research by Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Insurance in the UK, one in 10 Brits have already booked their summer holiday for 2019. This equates to 5.6 million adults.
Of the 2,008 people polled by Sainsbury’s, Europe was the most popular destination, with 49 per cent saying they had booked a trip to somewhere on the continent. This was followed closely by staycations in the UK, with 29 per cent of travellers saying that they would be holidaying domestically.
North America (eight per cent), Asia (seven per cent) and Australasia (five per cent) were also popular options.
Looking more specifically at the types of trips Brits are booking, 45 per cent said they were planning a beach holiday, while 26 per cent said a city break was their preferred option and 13 per cent said they had booked a cruise.
However, despite the fact that many people book holidays many months in advance, 16 per cent do not buy travel insurance, according to Sainsbury’s. Twenty-five per cent of Brits said that they held off on buying it because they were waiting for a special offer, while 14 per cent said that they did not have the time to buy it.
“Leaving your travel insurance until the last minute is a risky strategy,” warned Karen Hogg, Head of Insurance at Sainsbury’s Bank, “as travellers could end up uninsured and out of pocket if they have to cancel their trip. Travel insurance usually covers cancellations if a travelling companion becomes seriously unwell, or a relative dies or you’re made redundant.”