This insight summarises Global Booking Anxiety: The U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific, a Phocuswright report by analysts Alicia Schmid and Web in Travel, commissioned by Protect Group and published in September 2026. It also draws on PhocusWire's write-up, AI claims processing ranks last as a booking confidence driver.
Anxiety grounded in experience. More than half of Asia Pacific travellers and at least 45% of European and US travellers had a travel or event disruption in the past 12 months. Consumers respond by buying travel insurance, researching longer, choosing refundable options, avoiding destinations or events and booking closer to the date. Anxiety peaks at checkout.
Refunds lead, but preferences differ. Knowing a full refund is available is the top confidence booster. Asia Pacific travellers lean towards a lower price with low-cost optional refund protection, while US and European travellers prefer a higher price with free cancellation.
AI ranks last. Asked what would most increase their confidence to book an international trip or event ticket, travellers in nine of the 10 markets put AI-powered instant claims processing last. Access to human support beat it in every market. Past experience with the same provider and a recommendation from someone they know also outrank it. Getting all the money back matters far more than how fast a refund arrives. China is the outlier: travellers there rate AI claims higher than anyone else, though it still trails every other option. PhocusWire's conclusion: "AI can still earn a place in claims handling. It just can't be the pitch."
A commercial case, from an interested sponsor. The report says refund protection lifts the likelihood of using the same platform again, citing 57% in the US, 49% in the UK and 39% in China. Protect Group, which commissioned the research, offers refund protection.
Scope of this summary. This overview draws on the report's public summary and PhocusWire's coverage, not the full report. The online surveys were fielded in May 2026 among regular international leisure travellers in 10 markets: the US, UK, France, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, China and Japan. The study covers travel and events broadly, not hotels alone.
AIHA practical takeaway. Put cancellation and refund terms beside the book button and treat them as a conversion lever, not small print. Keep a clear route to a person visible during booking. Use AI behind the scenes to speed up changes and refunds, but lead guest messaging with the guarantee, not the technology. Test rate plans by source market, given the different refund preferences.
Related AIHA insight: Personal AI assistants could be re-shopping 'landmine' for hotels, which covers the other side of free cancellation.