Travel insurance comparison website Squaremouth reported
that there was an 18% increase in the number of travelers who bought insurance
in 2016 over the prior year.
Squaremouth largely attributed that increase to world
events.
"Over the past year, we saw the impact of concerns
about terrorism and Zika virus on traveler behavior, but we did not see
Americans stop traveling," spokeswoman Rachael Taft said in a statement. "More
Americans sought travel insurance for their trips in 2016, and many chose to
visit destinations closer to home."
The top destination for U.S. travelers in 2016 was the
United States, followed by Mexico, Italy, Canada, France, the U.K., Spain, the
Bahamas, Germany and Israel.
According to Squaremouth, the U.S., Mexico and Italy
remained in the top three spots for U.S. travelers in 2016, while Canada overtook
France and the U.K. to clinch the No. 4 spot.
Squaremouth reported decreases in travelers to Puerto Rico,
the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic and Aruba in 2016, which it
attributed to Zika virus fear. Travel to Cuba increased 148%.
In the past year, the number of travelers searching for
coverage for terrorism on Squaremouth more than doubled, according to the site.
Travelers also wanted the option to cancel for reasons that aren't typically
covered, like Zika or potential terrorism, reflected in an 11% increase in
travelers that purchased cancel-for-any-reason insurance. There was a 70%
increase in customers that were seeking inclement weather coverage.