Why A Busy Hurricane Season Won’t Impact Travel This Summer

Last Updated: May 26, 2022July 18, 2024 — 1 min read

ST. PETERSBURG Fla., May 26, 2022 — NOAA is predicting an above-average hurricane season this year. However, travel insurance aggregator, Squaremouth.com, says an uptick in tropical weather shouldn’t cause a major impact for summer travelers.

Due to the opening of European borders, Caribbean destinations most prone to summer hurricanes will see less travelers this summer than over the past two years.

European countries replace popular Caribbean destinations

Earlier this year, Squaremouth reported a spike in trips to Europe. This summer, US tourists are returning to Italy, the UK, and France more than any other countries, replacing tropical getaways that remained open and popular throughout the pandemic, including Costa Rica, Turks and Caicos, and the Virgin Islands.

This summer, the only tropical destination among Squaremouth’s top 10 most popular countries is Mexico, with Canada and the Philippines being the only other non-European countries included on the list.

Covid-19 still more concerning to travelers than hurricanes

88% of customers on Squaremouth.com indicated they weren’t worried about a hurricane impacting their travels this summer. Of those travelers, almost 40% are planning to travel to Europe, compared to just 16% visiting the Caribbean.

In comparison, 40% of summer travelers have specifically sought out coverage for contracting Covid-19, including cancellation, medical, and quarantine benefits. This is by far the biggest concern for travelers this summer.

Most travel insurance policies on Squaremouth.com include coverage for contracting Covid-19, as well as Hurricane and Weather benefits at no additional cost.

Methodology: Squaremouth Analytics compared thousands of travel insurance policies purchased for travel during the 2022 summer season to identify trends and shifts in traveler behavior. Squaremouth also surveyed over 2,900 customers to understand what concerns were driving their travel insurance purchases for summer trips.