Three in four Australians say they would be more likely to book through a travel platform if protection was automatically included.
That’s according to new consumer research examining how travellers assess risk and insurance.
The Cover Genius study found 75% of Australian respondents would consider switching travel booking platforms for built in protection, while 76% were more likely to buy cover if eligible pay outs could be made automatically without lodging a claim.
Risk remains front of mind, with 87% saying they consider what could go wrong before booking travel or making another major purchase.
Emergency medical cover ranked as the most valued travel protection, rated highly by 80% of Australians surveyed. Trip cancellation and interruption cover followed at 70%.
Despite growing interest in embedded protection, Australians remain cautious about newer purchasing channels.
Only 8% had bought protection through a marketplace app and just 4% said they trusted AI to make protection decisions.
When asked how they would prefer AI to be involved, 39% favoured receiving a recommendation while retaining the final decision, compared with 3% who wanted the technology to handle protection automatically.
Established providers continue to attract the most trust. Banks and credit card providers were preferred by 39% of respondents, followed by booking platforms and dedicated insurers at 24% each.
Angus McDonald, Cover Genius CEO and Co-Founder, said the findings showed an opportunity for travel platforms to make protection part of the booking experience rather than treating it solely as an optional extra.
“When cover is integrated seamlessly at checkout and claims are resolved quickly, protection stops being a reluctant add-on,” Mr McDonald said.
The research also identified a gap in awareness of credit card benefits, with 27% of Australians unsure what protection their primary card provides and only 30% having successfully used a card protection feature.
The Australian results are based on 225 respondents as part of a broader seven-country study of 1,392 consumers conducted in March and April.
