Luxury Travel Surges While Budget Trips Slow: $30K+ Trips Up 27.2%, New Data Shows

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelers are increasingly investing in higher-cost trips this year, signaling growing interest in luxury and bucket-list travel. Trips insured for $30,000 or more increased 27.2% in Q3 2026 versus the same period last year, according to new data from Squaremouth, a leading travel insurance marketplace.

This increase is more than twice the 12.9% growth overall in insured trips during the same period. Meanwhile, trips insured for under $10,000 declined 2.3%, according to Squaremouth's Q3 2026 Travel Insurance Trends Report.

However, this finding isn't surprising. In April, Squaremouth surveyed over 3,000 travelers about their anticipated travel spending for 2026 and found that 23% planned to spend more on premium or bucket-list trips. By Q3, those plans began showing up in Squaremouth's booking data.

Safari Travel Shows the Scale of Bucket-List Trips
Safari travel clearly illustrates that shift. Q3 is the peak booking window for luxury safaris, and the most popular destinations saw strong growth:

• Rwanda: Up 33.3%, with an average trip cost of $37,005
• South Africa: Up 23.4%, with an average trip cost of $25,198
• Kenya: Up 17.6%, with an average trip cost of $24,156

Higher-Cost Trips Pose Bigger Financial Risks
The more travelers invest in a trip, the more they could lose. With tens of thousands of dollars in trip costs, a cancellation or medical emergency can quickly lead to a significant financial loss.

Squaremouth experts recommend that high-cost travelers purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy with:

• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption: protects prepaid, nonrefundable expenses for safari packages, luxury cruises, lodging, and excursions if they must cancel or cut their trip short for a covered reason.
• Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation: covers eligible medical expenses and emergency transportation to appropriate care, especially important for remote safaris or expedition cruises to destinations like Antarctica.
• Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) and Interruption For Any Reason (IFAR): for maximum flexibility to cancel or shorten their trip for any reason. These benefits can reimburse up to 75% of covered trip costs.
• Travel Delay and Missed Connection: covers additional unexpected expenses when disruptions impact connecting flights, cruise departures, or transfers to remote destinations.

"When a single safari vacation can cost nearly $40,000, there's a lot at stake financially, but the risk doesn't end there," Chrissy Valdez, Senior Director of Operations at Squaremouth. "Safaris, expedition cruises, and remote islands often take travelers far from adequate medical care. If something happens, strong emergency medical and medical evacuation coverage ensures they aren't incurring additional expenses to get the care they need."

For more insights on luxury travel trends, connect with our team, or see the best travel insurance plans for luxury travel in 2026.

About Squaremouth
For over 20 years, Squaremouth has helped more than 4.4 million travelers quote, compare, and purchase travel insurance online. Renowned for award-winning customer service, transparency, and an unbiased approach, Squaremouth has led travel insurance comparison since 2003. As America's largest travel insurance marketplace, Squaremouth.com features more providers and plans than any other platform.

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SOURCE Squaremouth