09/17/2019
HOUSTON (Sept. 17, 2019) – As American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) celebrates its centennial anniversary, member AIG Travel, a worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance solutions, has revealed results of its most recent consumer Pulse Poll on innovation in travel over the past century. The survey of U.S. consumers found that when considering whether to buy travel products, services or experiences, 73% of leisure travelers care “a lot” or “somewhat” about whether those offerings are innovative.
“AIG has been a driver of insurance innovation over the past century and continually assesses consumer trends and mindsets related to insurance needs,” said Jeff Rutledge, CEO, AIG Travel. “Our research showed that the vast majority of leisure travelers who are thinking of buying travel products, services or experiences embrace innovation in travel, although some people express different preferences regarding travel innovation, based on their age.”
While 79% of the poll respondents reported being either “pleasantly surprised” or “fairly comfortable” when they hear something has changed or is about to change, millennials (ages 23-38) are three times as likely (15% vs. 5%) as traditionalists (ages 74 and older) to “eagerly await” an innovation in a travel-related service that they’ve used consistently. Conversely, traditionalists are nearly three times as likely as millennials (17% vs. 6%) to react with ambivalence or annoyance when learning that such an innovation is forthcoming.