Top Situations in 2025 Where Travel Insurance Is a Smart Move

Travel in 2025 is full of excitement and opportunity—but also full of potential disruptions. From airline strikes to rising political tensions and family health issues, travelers today face a wide range of risks that can upend even the most carefully planned trips.

That’s why travel protection from Generali Global Assistance is more than just peace of mind. It’s a smart financial decision that helps secure your plans, safeguard your investment, and ensure you get the assistance you need when things go wrong.

Based on the 2025 Generali Summer Travel Trends Survey, over 40% of travelers say they are more likely to purchase travel protection due to concerns about cancellations, global instability, and unexpected emergencies. Whether you're heading abroad or staying stateside, here are the top situations where travel protection can make all the difference.

1. Labor Strikes Are On the Rise

Airline and public transportation strikes are increasing globally, often with little warning. According to our survey, nearly one in four travelers is concerned about flight delays or cancellations due to labor disruptions.

If a strike affects your travel plans:

Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption coverage can reimburse you for non-refundable expenses such as airfare, hotels, and tours.
Travel Delay benefits can help cover meals, lodging, and rebooking costs while you're stuck.
Generali considers strikes a covered reason—as long as the strike was unforeseen at the time of plan purchase.

Tip: Book early and buy your plan as soon as you make your first trip payment to ensure the widest possible coverage.

2. Political Conflict, Terrorism, and Global Unrest

International travel is increasingly affected by geopolitical volatility. Over 30% of survey respondents reported that safety concerns—including terrorism and civil unrest—are now a major factor when choosing destinations.

Our plans offer protection in some, but not all, of these scenarios:

Trip Cancellation coverage if:
- A terrorist act occurs in a destination listed on your itinerary within 30 days of your scheduled departure and that destination has not experienced a similar attack in the past 30 days.
- If a traveling companion or family member is killed or seriously injured due to a terrorist act, you may also be covered under Trip Cancellation or Interruption.
Medical coverage can reimburse you for treatment if you are injured in a terrorist incident during your trip.

However, acts of war are excluded from coverage. U.S. federal law defines an act of war as:

Occurring during a declared war,
Involving armed conflict between two or more nations, or
Involving military forces of any origin.

Use the U.S. Travel Advisory Rating System

To make informed decisions, we recommend travelers consult the U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisory System. Countries are assigned a risk rating from Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) to Level 4 (Do Not Travel). We offer travel protection for a wide range of destinations, but we’re unable to provide coverage for travel to countries with a Level 4 Travel Advisory designation

See the latest list of destinations our plan do not cover

3. Involuntary Job Loss

Economic uncertainty and corporate layoffs are a growing concern for many travelers in 2025. If you lose your job before your departure, Generali may provide coverage—under the right conditions:

You must have been employed full-time for at least 12 months.
You cannot be self-employed or an independent contractor.
Your layoff must occur more than 14 days after purchasing your plan.

If you don't meet these requirements, consider our Premium Plan with Trip Cancellation for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage. CFAR allows you to cancel for non-covered reasons and still receive reimbursement for up to 75% of your trip cost. (Note: CFAR is not available to New York residents.)

4. A Family Member Becomes Seriously Ill

Illnesses and injuries affecting close relatives are among the most common reasons travelers need to cancel or interrupt a trip. In fact, 28% of surveyed travelers reported changing plans due to a family emergency.

Generali travel protection offers:

Trip Cancellation coverage if a family member’s condition prevents you from traveling.
Trip Interruption coverage if you need to leave your trip early to return home.
Coverage extends to non-traveling family members, including in-laws, step-relatives, and legal guardians.

Tip: Always retain medical documentation in case you need to file a claim related to a relative’s health condition.

5. Traveling Abroad? U.S. Health Insurance May Not Follow You

More than one-third of American travelers are planning international trips in 2025—and many are unaware that their U.S.-based health plans offer little or no coverage overseas.

Generali’s travel protection plans provide:

Emergency Medical and Dental coverage for physician-ordered care while abroad.
Emergency Transportation benefits, including medical evacuation and repatriation.
24/7 Multilingual Assistance to help with lost passports, hospital referrals, or legal aid.

Tip: For international trips, consider our Preferred or Premium Plans, which include higher medical coverage limits and enhanced services for travelers abroad.

6. Can You Afford to Lose Your Travel Investment?

The average U.S. traveler expects to spend $1,936 per person in 2025, according to our survey. Without travel protection, a last-minute cancellation could mean losing that investment entirely.

With Generali, you can:

Be reimbursed for up to 100% of your insured trip cost for covered cancellations.
Add CFAR coverage to recoup up to 75% of your trip cost even if you cancel for reasons not listed in the plan.

If you’re booking a trip you’ve been saving up for, ask yourself: what happens if you can’t go?

Be Prepared for Real-Life Travel Disruptions

Travel protection isn’t just for worst-case scenarios. It’s for real-life disruptions that affect thousands of travelers every day—like flight delays, sudden illness, or political instability abroad.

When you choose a plan from Generali Global Assistance, you get: