Travel insurance is treated as a travel necessity by fewer than half of all Canadian holidaymakers, with only 45 percent of those included in a recent poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of RBC Insurance responding that they considered it a don’t-leave-home-without-it item.
In contrast, electronics are considered to be an item to never leave home without by more than half of respondents, with 53% citing their gadgets as something they would make sure to pack – the only item travellers rated higher is their passport, which comes in at 75%. Medication is also recognized as an essential item for almost half of those preparing for a trip, with 49% being sure to pack it.
More than four in ten Canadian vacationers have found themselves in an unwanted circumstance while travelling according to the study; with lost luggage affecting 16% of respondents and 15% having a medical situation arise that necessitated a visit to a local doctor’s office or even a hospital.
Older travellers are the group most like to take out coverage for their trip before leaving home, with just a shade over a quarter of those aged 18 to 34 listing insurance as a travel necessity, in contrast to their take on electronic devices, which 69% reported to be a packing priority, and medication, which 38% would make certain of prior to setting off.
"When deciding what to pack, it's not surprising that our passport tops the list of items travellers would never leave home without,” says head of Travel, for RBC Insurance, Anita Mukherjee.
“However, what's alarming is that Canadians are more focused on their electronic devices, such as a cell phone and laptop, than travel insurance."
The poll was conducted in late December and consulted a sample of 1,003 Canadians who claim they have traveled outside their home province within the last two years.
