The findings indicate that solo travellers are 20% less likely to purchase comprehensive travel insurance compared to those travelling in groups. In addition, most are buying policies too late to access key benefits, particularly those designed to address disruptions and unexpected events.
According to the data, solo travellers select comprehensive coverage in 55.7% of cases, compared to 69.1% for travellers in pairs and 75.5% for groups of four or more. Many opt instead for lower-cost, medical-only policies, prioritising upfront savings over broader protection.
This approach can increase financial exposure, as medical-only policies typically do not cover disruptions such as cancellations, delays, missed connections, trip interruptions or emergency evacuations.
The data also shows that solo travellers wait an average of nearly 70 days after their initial trip deposit before purchasing insurance. This exceeds the 14 to 21-day window required to secure time-sensitive benefits, including Cancel For Any Reason coverage, Interruption For Any Reason coverage and waivers for pre-existing conditions.
These limitations are particularly relevant as solo travellers increasingly visit destinations such as Venezuela, Peru and Colombia, which rank among higher-risk markets. At the same time, geopolitical developments have contributed to rising risk levels even in traditionally stable destinations, including several Gulf states.
Chrissy Valdez, Senior Director of Operations at Squaremouth, stated: “Due to the unprecedented number of geopolitical events this year, solo travelers need to be prepared for anything, and buying the right travel insurance protection is a major piece to this puzzle.
We’ve seen that regardless of where you plan to travel in 2026, conditions can change at a moment’s notice, as evidenced by recent events in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
For this reason, we recommend buying travel coverage as soon as you make your first trip payment to ensure you lock in time-sensitive benefits and secure the coverage you need before a travel advisory is increased to excluded levels. Note that once a travel advisory has been increased to a level 4, many policies exclude even basic protections.
Additionally, we recommend opting for comprehensive coverage and upgrading to Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) protection when possible.
Comprehensive coverage can offer valuable emergency assistance services for solo travelers who lack on-the-ground support and those traveling to higher-risk destinations.
CFAR and IFAR coverage are the only types of travel insurance that can protect you from scenarios excluded by standard coverage, including airspace closures, military action, certain named storms, or general fear for your safety.
Lastly, non-medical evacuation coverage is also essential to consider having if you’re planning to visit high-risk destinations, as it can pay to evacuate you if situations escalate to dangerous levels due to political instability, civil unrest, natural disasters, or security threats.
Ultimately, while it may be tempting to save a bit and opt for medical-only coverage, the nature of solo travel and increased travel risks in 2026 warrant spending a bit more to ensure you are protected.”
Tags: solo travellers Chrissy Valdez, Squaremouth
