With winter travel approaching, Pearson Ham Group expects greater fluctuations in single-trip and specialist winter sports cover, even as its latest summer analysis shows falling premiums for annual multi-trip (AMT) policies and broadly stable single-trip prices.
According to the firm, single-trip cover for under-40s is steady at around £16, with over-60s paying roughly double at £36. Family cover has also remained unchanged, with typical single-trip premiums starting at £39.
The contrast lies in AMT policies, which have seen reductions across several customer groups. The most competitive quotes for under-40s dropped from £33 to £29, a -12% decline. Couples aged over 60 experienced the most significant change, with quotes moving from more than £100 to about £91.
Stephen Kennedy, director at Pearson Ham Group, said single-trip premiums have held steady, while annual cover has become cheaper, a shift that signals insurers’ effort to secure travellers purchasing multiple trips.
“Even with stable or falling premiums, it is important that travellers check the level of protection they are buying matches their needs,” said Kennedy. Lower prices do not always mean the same breadth of cover, so travellers should review policy limits and exclusions carefully to ensure they are adequately protected should they need to make a claim.”
According to Frances Luery, product manager at Pearson Ham Group, winter travel introduces different factors such as ski cover, weather delays and trip cancellations.
“We expect to see continued competitive pressure in annual multi-trip pricing, but single-trip and specialist winter sports cover may show sharper fluctuations as insurers price in heightened risks. Our end-of-year update will give the market a clear view of how these trends are playing out,” said Luery.
The findings come at a time when Which? has filed a super-complaint with the Financial Conduct Authority, calling attention to consumers who misunderstand what their policies include and only discover limitations when making a claim.
Forbes has reported that the UK’s travel insurance market is currently worth about £1.62bn and could reach more than £3bn by 2030. A Forbes Advisor poll in 2025 found that 54% of respondents had travelled abroad without any travel insurance, while 11% never purchase cover. Of those who do buy insurance, 48% take out cover every time they travel, and 23% purchase annual policies.
Data published by Forbes also showed that UK travel insurers paid out £472m in 2024 across 500,000 claims, with the average emergency medical treatment claim at £1,528. Trip cancellation and lost belongings were the most common causes of claims between 2018 and 2023, while customer satisfaction with travel insurance has risen to 85%, according to the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Do you think annual multi-trip policies now offer better value compared with single-trip cover for travellers?
