Prague, 15. 10. 2013 – The number of Czechs who cancelled their holiday abroad at the last minute increased by more than one fifth compared to last year. According to the data of ERV Evropská pojišťovna, the number of cancelled holidays increased by 22% this year. On the contrary, the average insurance indemnification for cancelled holidays decreased by about one thousand crowns to just under CZK 14,000.
“Increasingly more Czechs are insuring holiday cancellation. At present it is about half of the clients. Our statistics indicate that cancellation insurance is used mainly by families with small children, who become ill just before the holiday,” specifies Marketing and Communication Manager for ERV Evropská pojišťovna, Vlastimil Divoký. But illness isn’t the only reason why clients can cancel their holiday free of charge. Another reason may be loss of employment or damage to their dwelling. Moreover, this year ERV Evropská added divorce or rewriting of examinations.
People report the most claims on Monday
The number of insured claims has also increased. From June to August, clients of ERV Evropská reported 3,227 claims, which was 14% more compared to last year. “Clients report the most claims on Monday and the least on Saturday. The average paid indemnification reached 9,000 crowns this year, which is 10% less than last year,” says Divoký. According to ERV Evropská, the number of major claims for over CZK 100,000 had declined substantially. The most common holiday problems are still indigestion, viral infections, sunstroke and allergies. People most often get sick in Egypt, Greece and Turkey.
In fact, the occurrence of claims is three times higher in Egypt than in the remaining destinations. “The highest indemnification paid this summer was 903,000 crowns for the operation of an injured wrist in the USA. Every Czech who went on holiday with a travel agency spent 300 crowns on average for travel insurance,” adds Vlastimil Divoký from ERV Evropská.
People bought holidays far in advance
The sale of first moment holidays increased by one quarter this year, with more than 45% of all holidays being sold at the first moment. This is owed both to online sellers and travel agencies themselves, which presented the offer of holidays about 2 weeks earlier than last year. On the contrary, the number of last minute holidays declined, selling almost one third less compared to last year (37% of all holidays). “This decline was not so much due to the fact that people are not interested in last minute holidays, but rather that the travel agencies often had no more capacity and it was not possible to add any,” explains Sales and Marketing Director for ERV Evropská pojišťovna, Ondřej Rušikvas. The average price for a holiday increased by 4% to almost 13,000 crowns. The segment of premium holidays (over CZK 100,000 per person) increased by one tenth, while extremely expensive holidays (over CZK 200,000 per person) increased by almost 15%. “The average length of a holiday declined slightly again, from last year’s 9 days to 8.5 days this year, which is also due to the offer of travel agencies that adapted to the purchasing power,” concludes Rušikvas.
Vlastimil Divoký
Marketing and Communication Manager