As Americans get ready to celebrate the Christmas season, there is new protection for their event planners.
The insurance company called Allianz Global Assistance USA has just announced the release of a new travel product for event planners in the United States that is being launched just in time to assist people who are getting ready for their holiday celebrations.
This was released in conjunction with the company’s annual Vacation Confidence Index.
That insurance company survey was designed to help to gauge customer attitudes and behaviors regarding travel. What it found was that holiday spending has increased by 12 percent, this year. It also determined that, Americans will be spending a total of $72.9 billion throughout the holiday season. This represents an increase of $7.7 billion over last year.
Among the other insurance company statistics are those including holiday travel in the U.S.
Some of the survey results include the following travel discoveries:
• The top transportation choice for trips over the holidays remains car travel. Fifty nine percent of the survey participants will travel this way.
• Twenty six percent of travelers stated that their largest frustration when traveling is the failure of a GPS or navigation system, or when it provides directions that are out of date.
• Thirty nine percent of people who fly and who would usually find babies cute no longer feel that way when the child begins to scream and kick their seat. Seventeen percent of travelers say that the most frustrating part of flying is seeing another passenger smash their carry-on items.
• A minimum of ten percent of travelers have admitted to purchasing last minute gifts from rest stops on the highway or in airport shops.
• Among fliers, 8 percent have admitted that they have had too much to drink either before their flight, or during.
• Seven percent of the survey participants have come up with an excuse so that they would not have to travel.
• Among the respondents, 76 percent felt that the information that they find in reviews – such as on blogs, product review sites, or social networks – are genuine. Half of all travelers use this information as a factor while making their plans.
In light of this information and the increased travel and spending this year, the insurance company is offering a new Registration Protector travel product to help to provide protection for event organizers who have paid race registration fees on the ACTIVE Network’s website.
