St. Petersburg – October 29, 2026 -- Travelers are booking pricier trips: policies covering trips insured for $30,000 or more rose 27.2% in Q3 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to travel insurance marketplace Squaremouth.
That is more than twice the 12.9% growth in insured trips overall. Trips insured for under $10,000 fell 2.3%, per Squaremouth's Q3 2026 Travel Insurance Trends Report.
The shift was foreseeable. In April, Squaremouth surveyed more than 3,000 travelers, and 23% said they planned to spend more on premium or bucket-list trips in 2026.
Safari bookings in Rwanda grew 33.3% in the peak Q3 window
Q3 is the peak booking window for luxury safaris. The most popular destinations all grew:
- 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
Squaremouth recommends four coverage types for high-cost trips
A cancellation or medical emergency on a trip costing tens of thousands of dollars can quickly become a major financial loss. Squaremouth experts advise a comprehensive policy that includes:
- Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption: protects prepaid, nonrefundable expenses such as safari packages, luxury cruises, lodging and excursions if a trip is canceled or cut short for a covered reason.
- Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation: covers eligible medical expenses and emergency transportation to appropriate care, which matters most on remote safaris or expedition cruises to places like Antarctica.
- Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) and Interruption For Any Reason (IFAR): allows travelers to cancel or shorten a trip for any reason, with reimbursement of up to 75% of covered trip costs.
- Travel Delay and Missed Connection: covers extra expenses when disruptions affect connecting flights, cruise departures or transfers to remote destinations.
Remote destinations raise the medical stakes
Chrissy Valdez, Senior Director of Operations at Squaremouth, said, "When a single safari vacation can cost nearly $40,000, there's a lot at stake financially." She added that safaris, expedition cruises and remote islands often take travelers far from adequate medical care, so strong emergency medical and evacuation coverage keeps them from paying extra to reach it.