Required Travel Insurance Becoming More Popular, says Squaremouth

Last Updated: July 28, 2021February 23, 2024 — 1 min read

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. July 28, 2021 — Countries and cruise lines are turning to travel insurance as a resource to regain tourism.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, 18 countries have begun requiring visitors travel with insurance for Covid-19. Recently, Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Disney cruise lines announced similar requirements of non-vaccinated travelers.

Travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth.com, predicted this trend early on in the pandemic, and now says this may become the new norm.

Popular Destinations Require Insurance

Caribbean destinations have skyrocketed in popularity following international border closures to US tourists. This year, six of Squaremouth’s top 10 international destinations are comprised of Caribbean destinations. Three of which, Costa Rica, Turks and Caicos, and The Bahamas, require travel insurance.

Costa Rica has the most specific regulation, requiring unvaccinated visitors purchase $50,000 in emergency medical coverage and $2,000 in quarantine lodging coverage.

Cruise Lines Insurance Requirements

Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Disney cruise lines have also taken a stance, requiring unvaccinated travelers be insured on ships departing from Florida.

These requirements range from $10,000 – $25,000 in Emergency Medical, and $20,000 – $50,000 in Medical Evacuation coverage.

According to Squaremouth, most travel insurance policies will meet these limits. In fact, they typically recommend cruisers purchase even higher limits due to the expensive nature of medical care on a cruise ship and evacuation from a remote destination.

The Cost of Required Travel Insurance

Squaremouth says these requirements are for relatively low levels of coverage, and shouldn’t cost travelers a significant amount on top of their other trip expenses. Those who are buying a policy just to meet these requirements can expect to pay about 4% of the cost of their trip on an insurance policy.

For regularly updated information about Covid-19 and travel insurance, please visit our Covid-19 travel insurance information hub.

–ENDS–