Vacation Rental

CSA Travel Protection Invests in Sales Organization

New Sales Leadership Reinforces Company’s Commitment to Clients

CSA Travel Protection, dedicated for more than 20 years to providing travel insurance and emergency assistance services, announced today new leadership and expansion of its sales organization.

With CSA Travel Protection since 2000, Henrik Romberg is the new head of sales and product development. Most recently he was VP of corporate strategy and now reports directly to Chris Carnicelli, CEO, Generali Global Assistance North America.

“Romberg is uniquely suited to lead the sales organization given the breadth of his experience in product development, business excellence and compliance. I’m excited to work with him in his new role,” Carnicelli says. “This investment in the company’s sales division reflects the importance that we put on client satisfaction.”

Expanding the sales team, Al Contrera comes to CSA Travel Protection as the sales manager for custom retail. Rhonda Abedsalam is the new national account manager for the western region in the vacation rental business. They bring extensive knowledge and experience in the travel insurance and financial industries.

Contrera has been in sales management for the past 15 years of his 23-year career. Previously, Contrera was the vice president of CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc. He was responsible for overseeing product distribution, training, advisor recruiting and advisor sales. He’s also worked in the sales leadership capacity at Smith Barney, Citibank and Edward Jones.

Abedsalam has 13 years of experience in the travel insurance and insurance industries. Prior to CSA Travel Protection, she held sales leadership positions at Allstate and GEICO.

About CSA Travel Protection

CSA Travel Protection, a Generali Global Assistance company, is dedicated to providing affordable travel insurance and emergency assistance services to protect travelers’ valuable investments and provide the peace of mind one deserves while traveling. For 20 years CSA has developed a reputation for standing behind its customers and by offering products and services to meet their needs. Through superior customer service, extensive experience and industry-leading innovation, CSA is with its clients every step of the way, whenever and wherever they are needed.

Insurance is underwritten by Generali US Branch, New York, New York; NAIC #11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: In California: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. (U.S. Branch) In Virginia: The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice - U.S. Branch.

38% of American Travelers Interested in Staying at a Vacation Rental This Summer

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A majority of Americans are planning a vacation this summer, but did you know that 38% are interested in staying at a vacation rental? Or how many travelers consider issues like the Zika Virus when choosing a destination? Those are just some of the questions answered in a recent survey about summer travel habits, recently released by our 24-Hour Emergency Assistance provider, Generali Global Assistance.

See if these statistics about summer travel plans match what you’re seeing in your business. You may even notice an insightful travel trend you hadn’t seen before!

  • 61% of Americans intend to go on a trip this summer, for one week (39%) or two (26%).
  • The average budget is $1,771. Less than half of Americans consider summer trips to be a category in which they want to cut costs, slightly for 25% or even significantly for 17% of them. However, their intended budget plays a major role in their choice of destination (55%). Opportunities for leisure or cultural activities also play an essential role (52%).

  • 27% of Americans consider health risks to be an essential factor in the choice of destination.

  • When they think of their ideal vacation, they want to get together as a family, with their spouse or with friends (30%), as well as rest and find peace of mind (21%).
  • The seaside (44%) and the city (43%) are the favorite destinations for their summer trips.
  • As far as their practices are concerned, the preferred way for Americans to book accommodations is by computer (77%), mainly for the convenience (37%) and also because they usually book this way (21%).
  • While 55% intend to book a hotel, 35% would choose to stay for free with friends or family, or at their vacation home.
  • They show interest in renting an entire private home (38%) and in renting a room or shared space (20%).
  • 35% of Americans would not completely switch off from work during their vacation. Half of them would spend between 30 min and 2 hours per week on it.

Read more about the survey findings

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Note: Conducted by Ipsos at the request of Generali Global Assistance on a sample of 3,000 Europeans (French, German, Italian, Spanish, Belgian and Austrian), the aim of this reference survey — carried out by telephone and published for the 16th year running — is to offer an annual estimate of the vacation plans of the citizens of the countries in question, in addition to their motivations, destinations and preferred types of trips. The 2016 survey was also carried out in the United States and Brazil with a view to comparing practices (samples of 750 individuals surveyed online in each country).

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 0821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as CSA Travel Protection and Insurance Services.  Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions.  Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply.

Travel insurance plans are underwritten by: Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A. (U.S. Branch) in California, Assicurazioni Generali – U.S. Branch in Colorado, Generali U.S. Branch DBA The General Insurance Company of Trieste & Venice in Oregon, and The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice – U.S. Branch in Virginia. Generali US Branch is admitted or licensed to do business in all states and the District of Columbia.

Summer Travel Trends and the Zika Effect

Travelers are in the midst of making decisions about their summer plans, and there are many factors—including security—that play into their choices. Traveling overseas on the U.S. Dollar is cheaper than it has been in a while, but concern about the Zika virus is affecting international bookings and could boost domestic travel. How could this affect leisure travel this summer?

Domestic Travel

“With the increase of security threats happening abroad, I wouldn’t be surprised if in 2016 we begin to see more U.S. travelers booking trips to domestic hotspots like Hawaii, Alaska and San Diego,” said Cassie McNab, marketing manager at CSA Travel Protection.
summer-zika
Travelers in the U.S. are spending more this year, and more this summer— at least that was the forecast in December. A 3.4 percent rise in U.S. travel expenditures was forecast for 2016, according to the U.S. Travel Association, and signs show domestic travel may even get a boost from fear about overseas terrorism and the Zika Virus in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Andrew Saunders, president of the real estate company Saunders & Associates, recently told U.S. News and World Report that security concerns are causing an increase in the number of travelers choosing to stay close to home rather than renting overseas this year.

The Center for Disease Control reports more than 190 travel-associated Zika virus cases have been documented and the CDC warns that pregnant women should consider delaying travel to areas with Zika. The virus has been linked to Microcephaly, a serious birth defect.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll from February showed that 41 percent of Americans aware of the Zika virus say they are less likely to take a trip to affected areas.

Luckily, no cases of Zika are reported to have been acquired in the United States. However, it’s still a sound idea to keep an eye out. The types of mosquitoes that are able to transmit the virus have historically been found across the US, from East to West coasts, and some estimates show that up to 200 million Americans live in areas where the disease could potentially spread during the summer.

On a lighter note — road trips are likely to be a popular summer getaway. With gas prices at decade lows and the 100-year anniversary of the National Park Service, featuring centennial celebration events throughout the nation in August, the roads are sure to be packed.

The AARP reports that 95 percent of Baby Boomers plan to travel domestically in 2016, with Florida, Las Vegas, California, New York and Hawaii as the most mentioned destinations. Summer Vacations, Multi-Generational trips, and Weekend Getaways are cited as the most popular reasons for Boomer travel, which are also some of the peak situations for choosing to stay at a vacation rental.

Learn more about partnering with CSA

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as Generali Global Assistance and Insurance Services. Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions. Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply. Travel Retailers may not be licensed to sell insurance, in all states, and are not authorized to answer technical questions about the benefits, exclusions, and conditions of this insurance and cannot evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance. This plan provides insurance coverage for your trip that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. The purchase of this plan is not required in order to purchase any other travel product or service offered to you by your travel retailers. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker. This notice provides general information on Generali Global Assistance’s products and services only. The information contained herein is not part of an insurance policy and may not be used to modify any insurance policy that might be issued. In the event the actual policy forms are inconsistent with any information provided herein, the language of the policy forms shall govern.

Travel insurance plans are underwritten by: Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A. (U.S. Branch) in California, Assicurazioni Generali – U.S. Branch in Colorado, Generali U.S. Branch DBA The General Insurance Company of Trieste & Venice in Oregon, and The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice – U.S. Branch in Virginia. Generali US Branch is admitted or licensed to do business in all states and the District of Columbia.

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Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg, TN, tops a TripAdvisor list of US destinations on the rise. Creative Commons license. Photo by Brandon Shea on Flickr.com

2016 Travel and Lodging Trends

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Forecasts suggest that the travel industry will continue to grow in 2016, with signs that the popularity of vacation rentals won’t slow down.

Spending more money on travel

A 3.4 percent rise in U.S. travel expenditures is forecast for 2016, according to the U.S. Travel Association’s U.S. Travel Forecast. If travelers are spending more, they’ll likely be more interested in protecting their trip costs by purchasing travel insurance. Partnering with CSA Travel Protection can make that easier for you and your guests.

Hotel issues that could benefit vacation rentals

  • Hotel room rates in North America are forecast to rise 4.3 percent in 2016, according to the 2016 Global Travel Price Outlook. Vacation rentals only become more attractive as the cost of staying at a hotel continues to rise. “As hotels continue looking to maximize ancillary fees, we’re seeing them begin testing different terms and price points for amenities such as WiFi,” according to the report. With amenities such as internet access often included with vacation rentals at no extra cost, this could be another reason travelers choose rentals over hotels. It also indicates that hotels “have begun to enforce more stringent cancellation policies,” which may bring them closer in line with common vacation rental cancellation policies. And, if your guests are ever worried about your cancellation policy, CSA’s travel insurance with coverage for Trip Cancellation might ease their worries.
  • The American Express Global Business Travel Forecast 2016 suggests that while hotels are in the process of boosting their inventory, “limited increases in inventory fail to keep pace with the growing global appetite for travel.”
  • Vacation rentals are a growing sector of the lodging industry and continue to take more market share, according to EY’s Global Hospitality Insights 2015 report on the hotel industry. “In a year, Airbnb, a company that enables people to rent out lodging, added more listings to its existing inventory than the largest hotel companies introduced as new units combined over the same period.” That same report referred to the growing competition from vacation rentals: “Customers are increasingly seeking unique, authentic experiences anchored in the destination they are visiting. Part of the appeal of the shared economy concepts has been their ability to cater to those specific needs.” Vacation rentals should continue to capitalize on providing authentic local experiences that differentiate them from hotel lodging.

CSA Travel Protection can help you cater to your guests’ needs—you can offer them Vacation Rental Damage Protection and travel insurance. And, you can earn commission for plans your guests purchase, which can become an additional revenue stream for your business.

Learn more about partnering with CSA

 

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