A whopping 96 per cent of UAE residents admitted that travel photos are important to them, according to latest research launched by RSA, a leading provider of insurance services in the region. The research unveils how UAE travellers’ relationship with social media extends to various aspects of the travel decision-making process including before, during and after the vacation – covering all phases from research, booking the trip to posting about the experiences.

Launched for the first time, the report titled “Travelling Habits 2.0: Travelling in the Age of Social Media” examined the responses of more than 500 UAE residents, to assess the impact of social media on their travel-related decisions. The survey covered leisure travellers above the age of 18 years old who took at least one trip in the past two years. Established working professionals above the age of 30 comprise the majority of the respondent base (85 per cent). The findings reveal that most UAE travellers (80 per cent) plan their trip keeping in mind the photos that they will be taking.

David Harris, director – marketing and distribution at RSA said: “Boasting robust infrastructure, the UAE is strategically nestled between major travel destinations and as such, offers residents plenty of choices for their holidays. Given the high-penetration of social media amongst the population (99.26 per cent), it is not surprising that one of the most tech-savvy populations worldwide would rely on social media for information as well as to share their travel photos. As one of the leading insurers in the market, we have invested in this research as part of our relentless efforts to better understand consumers’ preferences and offer solutions that respond to their evolving requirements.”

Close to a quarter of respondents (24 per cent) said that they have faced a bad incident in the past which made them regret not having travel insurance in place. The research confirms the lack of awareness among the population vis-à-vis travel insurance. While medical emergencies and baggage loss or delay are both the most well-known covers, passport loss is the least known benefit (37 per cent) even though it ranked as the third most important benefit (47 per cent).

“We notice that travellers are so focused on taking the best travel shots and they tend to forget about ensuring peace of mind by taking out travel insurance. At RSA, we believe that all holidays should be worry-free – and picture-perfect. That’s why we offer the leading, most comprehensive travel insurance product to protect travellers against common travel mishaps,” said Harris.

“At present, insurance regulations only allow distribution and sales of insurance products only through entities registered with the UAE Insurance Authority. As such, RSA does not have a travel insurance plan that can be purchased through travel agents and operators.

“Should the regulations change or agents and operators register and comply with Insurance Authority regulations relating to the sale and distribution of insurance products, then they would be an ideal and appropriate channel for the distribution of travel insurance at time of purchasing travel,” concluded Harris. ”