Such promises are not ubiquitous, and they often come with fine print or incur additional fees. But as climate change led to an increase in extreme weather events, more and more people in the travel industry are trying to soften the blow of a spell of rain, a scorching afternoon or even a disappointing absence of natural phenomena.
“For people, experience matters more than money,” said Nick Cavanaugh, founder and CEO of Reasonable weather, which pays travelers if the forecast meets certain conditions. “For many trips, the weather determines the experience.”
Weather benefits are different from traditional travel insurance policies, which typically cover costs if a vacation has to be canceled or cut short due to a covered emergency such as illness, injury or natural disaster, Jenna Hummer said. , spokesperson for travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth. . Insurance policies can cost around 5 to 10 percent of the cost of a trip.
“It would be very frustrating if you spent a bunch of money and went on a beach vacation and it rained all the time,” she said. “Unfortunately, travel insurance does not cover loss of use.”
Guaranteed Northern Lights, powder snow
Individual hotels, ski resorts, destinations, cruise lines and others have all proposed their own changes to weather guarantees.
In 2019, the Italian island of Elba promised a free overnight stay (no longer in effect) on days when it rains for more than two hours during peak hours.
InterContinental Singapore announces Rain-resistant happiness package for select suites, valid until the end of the year, which offers a one-night discount if plans are disrupted by rain. Many ski resorts allow visitors to get a discount voucher on ski lift tickets if the snow does not meet expectations.
SeaWorld offers a “Weather insurance or not” for its marine theme parks and other brands that customers can return for free within a year if extreme weather conditions, including heat, seriously derail their plans.
Holland America Line hangs a “glacier guarantee” for Alaska cruises, promising a future cruise credit equal to 15 percent of their fare if a trip unexpectedly skips a visit to a glacier. At least two other cruise lines based in Norway Hurtigruten And Havila TravelMake a “Northern Lights Promise” for a free cruise if no aurora occurs during a sailing at certain times of the year.
“The Northern Lights are a must-see event for many travelers,” said Anders Lindström, spokesman for Hurtigruten, which has been keeping its promise for almost a decade. “We know people are booking with us for the Northern Lights.”
He said there was a high chance of observing the phenomena in the Norwegian Arctic between October and March; travelers are “almost never” required to take advantage of the cruise line's free cruise offer — and if they did, they would still have to pay for the flights to get to the ship. Still, Lindstrom says the guarantee helps give customers the confidence to book in the first place.
“We are not responsible for the weather,” he said. “I wish we were.”
Bad forecast = money refunded
Sensible Weather, which began offering weather guarantees in 2021, has since sold more than 100,000 guarantees covering rain. The company partners with 3,500 businesses, including campsites, tour operators, hotels, golf courses, attractions and others; these companies allow customers to purchase a “Weather Guarantee” as part of the checkout process. Sensible Weather mainly covers rain and, at partner ski resorts, too much snow, but it has started offering heat protection earlier this year. Cavanaugh said he also wants to potentially improve air quality, following last year's project. flood of wildfire smoke.
The cost of insuring against bad weather is typically 5 to 10 percent of what a traveler spends, Cavanaugh said. The parameters – for example, how many hours the rain forecast must last to get a refund – are set at the time of purchase. If the forecast meets this requirement, customers are automatically refunded, even if they continue their projects in the rain. Thresholds and prices vary depending on risk and, of course, the weather can be bad, meaning no money will be refunded.
“You can still jet ski in the rain,” Cavanaugh said. “You can’t go jet skiing in the rain and take the money they give you and go get a massage.”
The company provided some examples of how the coverage works: A couple who paid $12.78 to protect their $115 cost to camp for a June night in Tennessee was guaranteed 100% payment if they paid it rained for at least three hours. They got that $115 back after four hours of rain.
In Utah, the cost was $3 to protect a $122 one-night hotel stay in August with the promise that one hour of rain would result in a refund. The customer recovered $122 after an hour of rain.
Since payments are made based on forecasts, people get their money back even if the forecast weather doesn't show up.
“It’s a win-win,” Cavanaugh said. “We try to get money to people as early as possible, ideally before a bad thing happens, to kind of maximize the likelihood that you'll have a good day.”
A more recent company, WeatherPromisealso promises rain guarantees for a price.
Campsitea site that lets travelers book campsites and RV sites, partnered with Sensible Weather last year after a customer study found that unpredictable weather “was the most stressful part” of booking travel and camping, said Jeff Bettin, vice president of business strategy and performance.
He said the company found customers were more likely to book after the guarantee was introduced.
“We think it potentially gives more confidence to overcome that mental hurdle of, 'Oh, what if it rains?'” he said. “Now you have some peace of mind.”
Collective hill country, a glamping venue in Texas, is the first partner to offer guests the heating option as the outdoor hospitality company looks to extend its summer operating dates. Vanessa Vitale Hughes, hospitality director, said the property already offers air conditioning, running water, showers, steel pools and food suited to hot temperatures.
“I think we've done a really good job of ensuring comfort in all types of conditions,” she said. “And I think it also depends a little bit on the customer. That's why any type of weather warranty is an extra layer of protection for those who need it.”
The company offered rain protection at its New York property as “kind of an extra raincoat, if you will,” Hughes said, and received good feedback.
She said that in Texas, if the weather reaches the temperatures set by policy, guests will still be able to participate in whatever activities they want to do — they'll just get money for the day.
Carolin Lusby, a Associate Professor at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University and co-director of the Global Sustainable Tourism Program, said some travelers would be most likely to opt for purchasing weather pledges. Potential customers include families and those who are risk-averse, as well as big spenders who have more to lose in the event of a disruption.
Lusby, who is organizing a conference on sustainability and climate change, said she expects the Earth's warming will continue to significantly affect travelers.
“It changes the weather,” she said. “It’s something that’s definitely going to affect us.”
