On the occasion of World Tourism Day, ICICI Lombard General Insurance on Wednesday, September 27, published the findings of its recent consumer study on International Travel Behaviors of Indians. The study found that 76 percent of people purchased travel insurance for their most recent trip and the intent to purchase the same for the next trip reached a whopping 92 percent.

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The findings further explain that 73 percent of respondents demonstrated a high level of awareness regarding the importance of travel insurance. Furthermore, the study uncovered that awareness of travel insurance increases with the progress of the family stage, as married couples with kids emerged as the highest travel insurance purchasing class at 78 percent, followed by married couples with no kids (67 percent) and singles (66 percent).

The study, delved deeper into the psyche of the Indian traveller and shed light on their preferences, awareness and habits, unique to each type of customer class – family, couples and singles. Through the study, the insurer shed light on the current challenges with planning and executing travel plans internationally, any gaps or needs that are currently unfulfilled that can be potentially looked into and how these changes will affect the travel insurance landscape of India.

Sheena Kapoor – Head Marketing, Corporate Communications & CSR, ICICI Lombard, said, “These statistics underline a growing consciousness among travelers to safeguard their travel experiences and protect themselves against unforeseen events. It is indeed encouraging to see that travel insurance is no longer an afterthought but a proactive choice for a majority of respondents. Additionally, the correlation between family stages and travel insurance awareness is a noteworthy discovery, demonstrating that individuals are increasingly recognising the importance of securing their travel plans, particularly as they progress through various life stages."

Key takeaways from the study:

On overall travel behavior

Respondents with kids more inclined to have more than 2 trips a year

Comparing age groups, 61 percent in the middle age group tend to take 2 or more trips in a year which reduces to 1 in 3 in the 45+ age group

Respondents travelling once a year tend to have slightly longer duration trips –average. 13-14 days while those taking 2 or more trips avg. at 11-12 days on their latest trip

Single travellers tend to take 1 trip a year (55 percent)

2 in 5 have faced an issue while planning their latest international travel

Customers married without kids seemed to have faced the most issues with their planning (48 percent)

While applying for visas and finalising booking (51 percent each) are the biggest issues faced by the younger age group, the middle age group struggles with airline booking and arranging logistics between cities (48 percent each). Travel insurance issues are lowest among both age groups.

Logistics between cities is a highly faced issue irrespective of the booking medium used

(Edited by : Anshul)