June 13, 2022 by Canadian Underwriter Staff
Social media savvy Canadians may find their tendency to post vacation selfies resulting in the wrong kind of house cleaning.
With COVID-19 restrictions easing, summer is once again travel time and 62% of Canadians who are active on social media indicated they’re planning a trip, according to a survey commissioned by Allstate Insurance Company of Canada. For 42% of them, it will be their first trip in more than two years.
The concern, noted Allstate, is a tendency to share travel dates, vacation locales and destination selfies on social media. These posts can alert thieves to the fact their homes are unoccupied.
“That post-pandemic travel selfie can be very tempting for many people, but it could also lead uninvited visitors to your home and risk a break-in,” said Melissa Marquis, Allstate’s director of business development.
“We’re asking Canadians to think twice before posting that quintessential beach selfie or dreamy sunset photo to social media until after their return from vacation.”
The survey said 29% of respondents who are active on social media posted vacation details before or during a trip. And the number rose to 46% for people aged 18 to 34.
Among all respondents who shared their travel details, 10% posted about travel plans in anticipation of a trip and 24% posted during the trip, revealing they are away. The web survey was conducted May 6-9, 2022, sampling 1,534 Canadians older than 18, 1,076 of whom were active on social media.
Among those on social media, the survey found 37% plan to travel outside their city, 14% outside their province and 12% internationally.
Allstate offered a few tips for clients who plan to travel:
“Canadians are eager to take time off…but [travel plans] should not be made at the expense of putting your home at risk,” said Marquis.
Feature image by iStock.com/AzmanL