2 Years Later: Covid Concerns Evolving, But Still Top of Mind for Travelers

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Feb 16, 2022, 10:56 ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Two years after the domestic onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, traveler uncertainty is still at an all-time high.

Consumer data gathered by travel insurance aggregator, Squaremouth.com, reveals three ways Covid-19 is still shaping traveler behavior:

Covid Leads Travel Insurance Demand
Squaremouth reports a 181% increase in travel insurance sales in January 2022, compared to January 2019, with almost half of travelers specifically looking for coverage related to Covid-19.

Nearly 40% of travelers buying insurance on Squaremouth.com have indicated specifically needing Covid coverage, virtually the same percentage as in 2020, despite border openings, vaccination efforts, and shortened quarantine restrictions.

Variants Cause Change in Concerns
Prior to the Omicron variant, travelers expressed being most concerned about contracting the virus and having to cancel a trip.

Following the variant, and subsequent responses by countries, travelers indicated being more concerned about border closures than a Covid-related illness. Nearly 32% of travelers identified border closures as their biggest concern that may cause them to cancel, while 29% are most concerned about contracting the virus and being unable to travel.

Travelers Scared to be Stuck Abroad
As countries remain open, the US continues to require a negative test prior to return.

Today, the leading Covid-19-related concern of travelers is contracting Covid-19 abroad and being unable to travel home as planned. 45% of Squaremouth travelers said they were most concerned with contracting Covid-19 during their trip, over twice as many as those concerned about contracting Covid-19 while traveling and needing medical care.

Methodology: Squaremouth.com hosts the largest number of travel insurance providers and policies that offer coverage related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Squaremouth Analytics has compared thousands of travel insurance policies purchased amid the Covid-19 pandemic to identify trends in how travelers are responding to the impact.

Additional Resources:
Travel Insurance and Covid-19 Resource Guide
Travel Insurance Live Data Page

ABOUT SQUAREMOUTH
Squaremouth.com, and their multi-award winning customer service team, has helped over 2 million travelers save time and money to find the best travel insurance policy for their trip.

Leveraging decades of travel expertise, and industry-leading technology, Squaremouth.com hosts the most intuitive travel insurance quoting and comparison engine on the market today.

Coupled with verified customer reviews and the largest portfolio of products, Squaremouth allows travelers to instantly purchase a travel insurance policy from every major provider in the US.

Available Topic Expert: Megan Moncrief, Chief Marketing Officer, is available for comment and interview. [email protected] (727) 378-0938

SOURCE Squaremouth