After two years of cancelled travel plans and staying indoors, new research from Allianz Australia reveals Australians (64 per cent) have become more attached to their valuables after having them at their fingertips since the pandemic.
As thousands of Australians plan to travel around Australia these school holidays, many are hitting the road or the runway with the contents of their suitcases sometimes being worth more than the holiday itself. While 2 in 5 (39 per cent) confess they do not feel comfortable leaving their valuables at home, most Australians do not have a plan to insure their valuables when they take them with them on holidays (68 per cent).
With 2 in 5 (42 per cent) Australians unaware of the option that their valuables could be insured as portable contents under their Home Contents Insurance policy, Allianz is encouraging Australians to check that their insurance policy meets their needs before departing, so they can holiday in confidence.
A common misconception is that Home Contents Insurance is only for the items that stay within the home, however, there is optional coverage available to insure your valuables under your home insurance policy when you travel. While Home Contents Insurance is designed to cover your belongings at your insured address, optional covers such as Portable Contents, which covers wallets, cameras and mobile phones, and Accidental Damage, which covers damage caused by sudden, unforeseen or unintended events, are designed to give you peace of mind while you’re away from your insured address.
To help Australians holiday with confidence, knowing their most important valuables are insured, Allianz has partnered with a small business owner and mum of three, Lisa Wipfli, to provide tips and tricks on planning and preparing for your next holiday.
Lisa says, “No matter how much preparation is done, there is always a little bit of madness ahead of going on holiday with a family. From the kids’ tablets, family bikes, multiple outfit options and even something fancy for a night out with the hubby, it always tends to be a scramble to get it all together, and I tend to overpack in case I forget something. It is one of the reasons why I think it’s important that you consider if you have good home and contents insurance before you go away so you can feel secure knowing your valuables are covered when you’re at home or on the road.”
According to Allianz’s research, a third (33 per cent) of Australians tend to overpack, yet 69 per cent don’t end up using all the items they brought with them and often forget they packed them. Outside the obvious, being clothing and shoes (90 per cent) and home amenities (25 per cent), this year Australians are packing the latest technology (76 per cent) and jewellery (25 per cent). Further to this, new claims data from Allianz shows the three most claimed Portable Contents items are jewellery, mobile phones and computers, accounting for almost 45 per cent of Portable Contents claims.
Clinical Psychologist Jaimie Bloch said, “Our valuables bring us a sense of comfort [8], they connect us to our identity, or they connect us to our memories and are an integral part of our daily routines, which is causing Australians to travel with more, whether this is on holiday or even popping out of the house for the day. Losing or misplacing special items can cause unnecessary anguish and significant emotional distress. Knowing that these items are safe when we’re out and about can help us feel safe and allow us to stress less.”
Allianz research also revealed when on holiday, a third (32 per cent) of people are worried their material items will get damaged, leaving Australians storing their most important valuables in their luggage (38 per cent), on a bedside table at their accommodation (21 per cent) or in the car (13 per cent). However, if an item does get lost, stolen or damaged, 66 per cent did not make an insurance claim. Instead, the majority of Aussies blamed themselves (41 per cent), informed the holiday rental (35 per cent) or called the police (31 per cent).
As Australians take more valuable items with them than ever before, there’s a growing need to insure valuables better while away from home. Rachael Poole, Allianz Australia’s Head of Home, said, “Having your items stolen, lost or damaged while on holiday is a stressful experience, yet our research shows Aussies may not be making a claim when this happens. At Allianz, we encourage Aussies to conduct a Policy Health Check before departing for their holiday. This is a simple call that can help build understanding around their Allianz Home Insurance policy and ensure those all-important valuable items are insured with optional covers such as Portable Contents or Accidental Damage cover.”
Visit Allianz.com.au/HolidayReady for more information on getting prepared for your next holiday.
Lisa Wipfli’s tips on how to plan and prepare for a holiday:
- Organise and separate your items: When travelling with high-value portables, pack them in separate compartments to know where they are in your luggage. For example, pack all technology (kids tablets, video games) in one spot and keep your medical kits and supplements together in another part., This makes your valuables easy to find.
- Do an insurance policy health check: Before you head out, it’s a good idea to check your insurance policy to make sure your valuables are insured when you are at home or on the road.
- Make a list – and stick to it: Packing lists are a great way to ensure you haven’t forgotten anything and are not overpacking. While throwing in the odd item can be tempting, make sure you stick to your list to avoid bringing more than you need on holiday.
- Pack all dirty items in one suitcase: Collate all the dirty items into one suitcase while on holiday. When you return home, it is so much simpler to unpack and not have to rummage through multiple bags to locate your valuables over the dirty items.
Rachael Poole’s tips on how to feel at ease leaving your valuables at home when on holiday:
- Reflect on what you’re packing: Try to limit the number of items taken on a holiday. Give yourself time to reflect on your packing list and decide if an item is essential. For example, if you’re going on a relaxing weekend away, consider leaving your tech gadgets (such as your work computer) at home.
- Cover your valuables: If you are travelling with high-value items, ensure you have adequate insurance cover for these items while you are away on holiday. It’s as easy as contacting us to find out what is covered under your current Allianz Home Insurance policy and consider if you might need optional covers such as Portable Contents Cover or Accidental Damage Cover.
- Keep your valuables in a safe place on holiday: If you are travelling with your valuables, find a safe spot within your holiday room or rental to store them when you’re not taking them out.
- Keep your valuables in a safe place at home: If you’re planning to be away from home, consider placing your high-value items in a safe place.
