Multi-generational vacations on the rise - But are Canadian families adequately prepared?

Toronto ON, August 21, 2019

One of the big trends in travel among Canadians is multi-generational vacations – trips involving two or three generations. A potential driver is a more adventurous baby boomer demographic who look forward to the opportunity to enjoy travel with their adult children and grandchildren. But before rushing out with the kids and grandparents, Allianz Global Assistance Canada, a leading provider of travel insurance and assistance services, advises that as the size of the group grows along with age gaps, there are more planning steps which include adequate travel protection for every traveller. 

“Travelling with family members from different generations can be a very rewarding experience and create many shared memories, but it also raises a number of issues that should be addressed in advance,” says Dan Keon, Vice President, Market Management, Allianz Global Assistance Canada. “Organizing the itinerary so that each generation can enjoy the trip is challenging enough. But travelling families should also be mindful that children can be more prone to illness due to changes in routine, environment and diet, while seniors may have preexisting medical conditions that could affect coverage, so having adequate travel medical insurance for everyone is vital.” 

This need for travel insurance is true whether your multi-generational trip is a weekend road trip across the border, a trip-of-a-lifetime to Europe, or even a jaunt to another province within Canada. 

Over the past year, Allianz Canada has seen an increase of 5 per cent in the purchase of policies for multi-travellers and the Conference Board of Canada reported that among the 26.9 per cent of Canadians who travelled with a group of related adults and children, more than one quarter included more than two generations.1

“For multi-generational travel, we recommend that one person be assigned to ensure that pretrip details related to health and travel protections are managed, including everything from accessibility issues, vaccines, special dietary needs and age-appropriate activities,” adds Keon. “This approach will help ensure no one’s needs are overlooked.” 

While the destination is usually the major decision, travellers may not recognize the need for coverage if they are staying within Canada. 

“Provincial health insurance does not cover everything in other regions across the country,” says Keon. “Expenses for things like ambulances and paramedic assistance may not be covered by your provincial health plan while travelling out of province. Plus, it’s not uncommon for family members to come together at a destination from different cities, which makes the need for trip interruption or cancellation coverage beneficial to help protect your travel investment.” Organizing all of the details, needs and protections for a multi-generational trip can be daunting. Canadian travel writer Natalie Preddie2 recommends using a travel agent to help ease the planning process. “You will never please everyone so putting the onus on a travel agent relieves some of the pressure. They can help decide on the perfect destination for your group based on abilities, interests and family locations.” 

Allianz Global Assistance (Canada)

Depuis 30 ans, Allianz Global Assistance offre son soutien aux voyageurs canadiens lorsqu’ils en ont le plus besoin en leur offrant des services d’assistance et une assurance voyage à valeur ajoutée. Plus de 800 employés appuient des partenariats durables avec certaines des marques les plus connues des marchés des services financiers et du voyage. L’entreprise gère également les appels entrants et les demandes d’indemnisation de grands assureurs de soins médicaux, d’assureurs de dommages et d’entreprises de cartes de crédit. Allianz Global Assistance est une marque spécialisée d’Allianz Partners en ce qui concerne l’assurance voyage et les services d’assistance et est une dénomination commerciale enregistrée d’AZGA Service Canada Inc. Visitez le site Web d'Allianz Global Assistance Canada pour obtenir plus de renseignements.

Allianz Partners

Soucieux d’offrir des soins et des protections dans le monde entier, Allianz Partners est le leader mondial B2B2C dans les domaines de l’assistance, l’assurance voyage, la santé à l’international, l’assurance automobile. Ces solutions, combinaisons uniques d’assurance, de services et de technologie, sont conçues pour s’intégrer à la stratégie de ses partenaires ou sont proposées en vente directe via des canaux digitaux. Le groupe commercialise ses services sous différentes marques : Allianz Assistance, Allianz Care et Allianz Automotive. 

Allianz Partners compte plus de 19 000 salariés dans 78 pays parlant 70 langues et traitant 54 millions de dossiers chaque année, protégeant clients et salariés dans le monde entier. Visitez le site Web d'Allianz Partners pour obtenir plus de renseignements.

Relations de presse :

Communications@allianz-assistance.ca

1. Data provide by the Conference Board of Canada for Winter 2018-2019 Outbound Canada Leisure Trip Characteristics and Travel Intentions 

2. Natalie Preddie’s blog is sponsored in part by Allianz Global Assistance Canada