Aussies increasingly heading abroad over Easter, says Allianz

The Easter break gives travel-happy Aussies the perfect excuse to get away from the daily grind, but fresh research from Allianz Travel Insurance has revealed that we’re increasingly ditching the old-school road trip in favour of overseas trips.

Our propensity for overseas travel is highlighted by the fact that Allianz recorded a 37% increase in the number of customers taking out a policy for international travel over the Easter period.

And at the same time, we’re far less likely to seek out insurance for our Australian-based travels with the insurer revealing a 33% decline in the amount of Easter domestic travel insurance policies over the same time period.

“Easter has always been a popular time of year for Aussies wanting to get away and has long been synonymous with the Aussie road trip,” said Allianz Travel Insurance’s General Manager Direct and Digital, Brendon Dyer.

“However in recent years, we’re seeing a steady rise in the number of travellers ditching a domestic holiday in favour of a quick trip overseas, which could be attributed to wanting to avoid the traffic chaos that most experience on the roads during the four-day weekend.”

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When it comes to our favourite overseas Easter destinations; the closer, the better.

Just a ‘bunny-hop’ away, New Zealand has retained the gong of our favourite destination as our overseas Easter getaway for the third straight year. But we’re also looking to rekindle summer vibes with an increasing amount of Aussies opting to head to tropical climates in Singapore, Fiji and Bali.

Snagging a comprehensive travel insurance policy

Once you’ve decided on a location for your Easter holiday, the next step is to grab a travel insurance policy that covers your destination of choice and according to Dyer, the sooner Aussies can get this sorted, the better.

“We’re anticipating an influx of last minute policy bookings in the days leading up to Easter, but would strongly encourage people to get in early and book their travel insurance now and take the time to familiarise themselves with what their policy covers,” he said.

By looking into a comprehensive travel insurance policy now, you’ll allow yourself time to properly do your research (we suggest taking advantage of Mozo’s bespoke travel insurance comparison tool), but you’ll also get the added benefit of cancellation cover on your flights or hotel bookings should plans change at the last minute.

Just make sure you’re grabbing a sophisticated enough level of cover for your holiday. For example, if you’re heading to New Zealand and have a trip to Cardrona’s infamous snow slopes planned, choose a travel insurance policy that will cover you for snow sports, or offer it as an optional add-on.

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Funding your Easter holiday

Cash might be king when you travel, but there’s also a lot to be said about having the perfect plastic companion on your overseas trip and the good news is you have a range of options.

More and more, providers are looking to blur the lines between Australian and international plastics. For example, ING recently scrapped global ATM and international transaction fees on its Mozo Experts Choice award-winning Orange Everyday account and just this month, HSBC launched its Global Everyday Account allowing Aussies to keep up to 10 currencies in their regular bank account at any one time.

And if your everyday plastic isn’t so travel-friendly, you can still find a plastic companion that best compliments your travel spending habits. For example if you’d the like freedom to spend big a travel credit card may be your best bet or if you’re after a card that’s a little more budget-friendly, check out a range of popular prepaid travel cards.

No matter how you plan on funding your overseas trip, Mozo have a range of holiday-friendly financing options as well as helpful tips and guides on how to spend your money wisely overseas at our travel money hub.