HUNT VALLEY, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A recent study by Arch Insurance Company’s travel insurance brand, RoamRight, yielded interesting insights about this year’s recently completed spring break travel season. Spring break, historically an opportunity for travelers to recharge from the doldrums of the winter season, typically finds leisure travelers heading for warmer climates. Arch RoamRight’s recent analysis, based on survey responses and historical purchase data, uncovered some noteworthy results regarding one of the United States’ most popular travel seasons.
Findings include:
Most spring breakers do not purchase travel insurance
The majority of survey respondents (53%) who traveled for spring break said they did not purchase travel insurance for their trip.
“Even though we have come a long way in educating American travelers about the importance of travel insurance, we still have a way to go,” said Cory Sobczyk, Vice President of Business Development for Arch RoamRight. “Many travel experts agree that travel insurance is an important component of any travel plan. Travel insurance should be as essential for spring break as sunblock or a bathing suit.”
Travel insurance helps protect you if your vacation plans change, such as if you need to cancel your trip for an unexpected reason or if your luggage is lost or delayed. Travel insurance can also provide medical coverage for emergencies that occur while traveling.
Arch RoamRight travelers opted for Puerto Rico, Cuba over Mexico
According to data from insured Arch RoamRight travelers in the first quarter of 2019, more travelers were taking spring break trips to Puerto Rico and Cuba, while fewer were opting for the historically popular spring break destination of Mexico.
In March 2019, Arch RoamRight saw a 43% increase in travelers heading to Puerto Rico and a 19% increase in travelers bound for Cuba when compared to March of 2018. Meanwhile, there was a 39% decrease in insured individuals traveling to Mexico.
“Over the last year, we have seen Puerto Rico make tremendous strides in welcoming tourists back into their country,” said Mr. Sobczyk. “While Mexico remains a popular destination for spring break, our data shows a swing of people visiting Puerto Rico, possibly to help the country rebuild from the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017 by contributing to the local economy through tourism.”
Regarding the increase in travel to Cuba, Mr. Sobczyk says, “We understand the desire for Americans to experience Cuba once people-to-people travel to the country was allowed, especially with the future regulation of American travel to Cuba uncertain.”
Most respondents opted to pass on a spring break trip
Through the survey, Arch RoamRight learned that about 70% of respondents did not take a 2019 spring break trip. Of those, nearly 30% cited limitations in paid time off from work as a leading reason for not traveling. Other responses included a lack of interest in spring break travel (23%) and not being able to afford a trip this year (9%).
About RoamRight
RoamRight (www.roamright.com), an Arch Insurance brand based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, provides travel insurance to help U.S. residents traveling around the world. RoamRight offers travel insurance plans for leisure, business, student and group travelers taking both domestic and international trips. From trip cancellation to travel medical insurance plans and an award-winning mobile app and website, RoamRight is an industry leader in innovation and technological solutions.
About the Survey
These results were collected in a survey sent to Arch RoamRight newsletter subscribers. The survey received 221 responses from the 18,281 newsletter subscribers. The purpose of this survey was to gather information on spring break travel during the 2019 season. The survey and its results are informal and not large enough to arrive at a conclusions that concretely summarize travel trends.
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