Island countries surge in popularity for US travellers

Four out of five most popular international destinations for US travellers are island countries, said travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth, adding that Turks and Caicos is the fastest growing of its most popular destinations

The rise in travel to island destinations proves US residents are still willing to leave the country amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Countries that have remained open throughout the pandemic have seen a significant surge in travel,” said Squaremouth Lead Data Analyst, Steven Benna. “This includes countries that have never been among our most popular destinations for US travellers, such as Turks and Caicos and the US Virgin Islands.”

Europe no longer the top region

•    Only about 8% of Squaremouth sales so far in 2021 are for trips to Europe, compared to a historical rate above 30%
•    The percent of travellers buying insurance for domestic trips has nearly tripled to 30%
•    The percent of travellers going on Caribbean trips has surpassed 20%, nearly double the pre-pandemic rate

Historically, travellers going to Europe have comprised the largest share of travel insurance sales, typically ranging from 25% to 45%. In 2021, the share of travellers buying travel insurance for trips to Europe has dropped to 8%.

On the other hand, the percent of travellers buying insurance for domestic trips and Caribbean trips has spiked.

The US now comprises roughly 30% of sales through Squaremouth.com, the most of any region, compared to about 11% before the pandemic. At the height of the pandemic, domestic travel peaked around 57%.

The share of travellers buying travel insurance for trips to Caribbean destinations now accounts for roughly 20% of policies purchased through Squaremouth.com this year, an increase from about 12%. – TradeArabia News Service