Weather risks reshaping consumers’ approach to travel and travel insurance

The travel practice survey by Aon Affinity has found that more than half of Americans (56%) say the potential for bad weather, such as hurricanes or blizzards, would make them less likely to book travel to certain destinations – a 7 percentage point increase since a similar survey conducted in 2019 (49%).

“We’re seeing a shift in how travellers approach leisure travel as climate risks grow,” said Beth Godlin, President of Aon Affinity Travel Practice. “Our data shows that more than half of Americans, especially women and baby boomers, consider the potential for severe weather more critically than their counterparts when choosing their destinations and determining how and when to safeguard their plans.”

The survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Aon Travel Practice, part of the Affinity Business at Aon, queried more than 2,000 American adults aged 18 and older about their attitudes toward travel and travel insurance – from factors that influence travel destinations and recent experiences of travel disruptions to how often they have bought coverage and what motivated them.

Findings include:

• Four in five Americans (80%) travelled in the past year, and, among them, 60% experienced some type of travel disruption. More than two in five Americans who experienced a travel disruption in the past year (44% versus 28% in 2019) say it was due to a weather delay

• More than one in four of those who purchased travel insurance (26%) say it’s because they were worried about bad weather or a natural disaster impacting their trip

• Women are more likely to fear weather disruptions, with 61% stating they are less likely to choose certain destinations due to the potential for bad weather, compared with 52% of men

• Baby boomers (ages 60–78) are the most likely generation to express concern about the impact of climate risk on travel, with 66% indicating they would be less likely to book travel to certain destinations because of potential bad weather, compared with 47% of Gen Z (ages 18–27), 48% of millennials (ages 28–43), and 58% of Generation X (ages 44–59)

• Additionally, Gen X expressed that potential bad weather would deter them from booking travel, with 58% of Gen X citing this concern, compared with only 47% of Gen Z and 48% of millennials.

Travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection recently announced the insights of its 10th annual State of Travel Insurance Safest Destinations report.