Research points to growing demand for integrated travel planning and embedded protection
A new global survey suggests travellers increasingly favour consolidated booking journeys, creating fresh opportunities for insurance distribution
Travellers increasingly prefer to book multiple elements of a trip through a single platform, with growing interest in adding protection products during the booking process, according to new research released by Expedia Group.
The study, conducted among more than 2,500 travellers across 10 international markets, found that consumers were increasingly seeking to plan, book, and manage entire journeys through one provider rather than using multiple websites and applications.
The findings highlighted the continued expansion of embedded insurance opportunities as travel booking journeys become more integrated.
According to the research, 77% of respondents said they were likely to book more than one component of their next trip through the same platform, while 76% said they would be likely to return to a booking site or app to purchase additional travel services after making an initial reservation.
The survey also suggested travellers remained highly responsive to bundled offers and additional savings, with 81% indicating they would be more likely to purchase multiple trip components together if discounts were available.
Protection products appeared to be gaining prominence within these consolidated booking journeys. Expedia found that 67% of respondents were likely to add trip protection when it was presented as a straightforward add-on during the booking process.
The findings come as travel technology providers, insurers, and intermediaries continue to invest in embedded distribution models that integrate protection products directly into travel booking platforms.
The research also pointed to sustained demand across major travel categories over the coming year. Nine in 10 respondents said they expected to book activities or experiences, while 88% planned to purchase flights, and 75% intended to book car rental services.
Expedia said the results reflected growing demand for end-to-end travel planning, prompting further expansion of its application programming interface (API) ecosystem, including travel protection capabilities alongside flights, accommodation, vehicle rental, and activities.
The survey was conducted by Harris Poll in earlier this year and included travellers from the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, China, India, Brazil, and Mexico.