Every day, more and more Americans are escaping stay-at-home routines and embracing travel as they once knew it.

The spring, summer, and fall of 2021 are going to look a lot different than those of a year prior. AAA Travel predicts a 60% increase in travelers getting at least 50 miles out of town as the weather heats up.¹

While the trips are expected to add up quickly, the most popular destinations remain stateside. Virtuoso’s top destination for U.S. travelers this summer is — you guessed it — the United States — with Italy, Mexico, and France finding spots further down the list. Airbnb sees a similar trend: 70% of searches are targeting “off-the-beaten-path” domestic locations between 50 and 300 miles of a traveler’s home. Other, more well-known domestic destinations travelers are visiting include Las Vegas, Orlando, Honolulu, and Myrtle Beach, S.C.²

There’s also another dynamic at play as travelers hit the road and flock back to the friendly skies: people are planning more trips. Chalk it up to 14-plus months of being cooped up in homes that doubled as workplaces and schools, as well as making up for canceled and long-delayed excursions. Two out of five Americans surveyed in a recent Expedia Travel Trends study said they were planning to travel more in 2021 compared to 2020.³

And while it’s not even mildly surprising that more people will be traveling, and doing so more frequently, it puts the spotlight on travel insurance — more specifically, annual travel insurance plans.⁴

What is an Annual Travel Insurance Plan?

When it’s been a year-plus since you’ve escaped your backyard, the last thing you need is some unforeseen event to swoop in, lay havoc to your plans, and wipe out all that you invested in the trip.

Not to worry. Travel insurance exists for these very reasons. Now, when Americans are eager to get back in the saddle, travel insurance becomes even more meaningful.

When you choose Allianz Global Assistance for your travel insurance needs, you have a decision to make before you begin reviewing the details of our wide selection of plans. That decision is whether to purchase a plan for a single trip or an annual/multi-trip plan, which we refer to as “AllTrips” plans.

Our AllTrips plans can provide protection for an entire year’s worth of trips. Depending on the Allianz Global Assistance plan you select, benefits may include:

• Trip Cancellation: Reimburses you for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses.
• Emergency Medical: Provides benefits for losses due to covered medical and dental emergencies
• Baggage Loss/Damage: Covers loss, damage, or theft of baggage.

This is just a tiny sample of the multitude of benefits your plan may include, and you’ll want to pay close attention to coverage levels and other details.⁵ Allianz Global Assistance’s annual travel insurance plans feature an option for every budget and itinerary and include:

• AllTrips Basic: Value-priced plan includes most popular benefits except for Trip Cancellation.
• AllTrips Prime: A solid, affordable annual travel insurance option that includes trip cancellation.
• AllTrips Executive: Designed for the smart and savvy business traveler and includes benefits for business equipment. Can also be used for personal travel.
• AllTrips Premier: This is the Cadillac of annual travel insurance plans. Includes all the travel benefits you could desire — many at higher coverage levels.⁶

Why Buy an Annual Plan for Domestic Travel?

As you sit here reading this article, you may be solely focused on your next trip — that first big getaway you’re excited to get underway. So, when you have your choice of insurance plans, why would you opt for an annual travel insurance plan from Allianz Global Assistance when a single-trip plan can get the job done?

We’re glad you asked. Here are just a few of the reasons to consider choosing an annual travel insurance plan:

• It works near or far.
  You don’t need to be a globetrotter to reap the benefits of an annual plan. You don’t even need to leave your home state. Our AllTrips plans simply require that you’re traveling at least 100 miles away from home. So, traveling down the highway to your aunt’s lakeside bungalow for Thanksgiving or taking the train to see a concert may not seem like traditional vacations, but they could be protected with an annual travel insurance plan.
  
  
• It’s the savvy financial move.
  We’ve crunched the numbers and checked our work twice. By the time you plan your third trip of the year, you’ve already ensured that purchasing an AllTrips plan is more cost effective than having purchased separate single-trip plans for each trip. And as mentioned above, domestic trips can add up fast, especially in the summer. Plus, you only need to complete the travel insurance purchase once and keep track of a single plan, saving you valuable time.
  
  
• It’s a cinch to manage with the TravelSmart app.
  As you’re enjoying domestic travel bliss from Biloxi to Boise and Binghamton, you may want to check out the details of one of your AllTrips plan benefits. Or see if your connecting flight is delayed. Or connect with a live travel expert in the wee hours of the night to find a motor club to jump-start your rental car. You get the picture. Allyz® TravelSmart is a multi-talented app that does all this and so much more. It even sends you location-based alerts if there are any events that may impact your travel plans. Best of all, Allyz TravelSmart is free and easy to pack in your iPhone or Android device.⁷

Annual travel insurance plans sound like a no-brainer when you’re planning multiple trips to international destinations throughout the year. But upon further inspection, purchasing an annual travel insurance plan for as few as three domestic trips offers sneaky good value and convenience whether you’re flying or driving. (Did we mention that our annual travel insurance plans come complete with $45,000 of rental car damage and theft protection?)⁵ And if you still have your doubts about whether you’ll take three trips in a year, well, what are you doing this weekend?

Related Articles

• Which Annual Travel Insurance Plan is Right for You?
• Why I Finally Bought Annual Travel Insurance (And Why You Should Too)
• 5 Ways Travel Insurance Can Help You Breathe Easier on Domestic Trips