This is a sad week in the country and the events industry. Last weekend, a total of seven active shooter incidents left a trail of death and destruction from California to Washington, D.C. Some of these attacks occurred at events. A gunman at Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California opened fire and killed three people—a six-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man. More than 15 were injured. Police said the shooter bypassed metal detectors and security personnel by cutting through a fence.

Marin Bright, Smart Meetings Founder and CEO

The reality is that our events have become targets. While we need to continue to take every precaution and learn from each incident, we may have to come to terms with the fact that until we change the culture, security guards may not be enough. Anything can happen anywhere and we, unfortunately, have to be prepared to deal with it.

During difficult times like this, it is important to talk to each other about what we are doing, feeling and hearing. We excel at sharing best practices, thinking fast and being there to support each other. I am putting my hope in the strength of our event professional community and the resiliency that has served us so well in the face of tragedy. As the people responsible for the safety of our attendees and as citizens of the world, we have to do everything in our power to protect 6-year-olds—and everyone who trusts us to create a safe place to come together.

Nighttime beach bonfire

Planning a meeting can be stressful—especially if it’s last minute. You are tasked with finding activities that your whole group can participate in; and if you’re planning it last minute, that could pose a problem. Smart Meetings has compiled a list of easy-to-plan activities everyone can enjoy (without breaking the bank).

1. Beach Bonfire:

For a super easy and inexpensive summer activity: plan a beach bonfire. This is a sure “fire” way to take advantage of the summer weather. Do your research on which beaches near you allow bonfires because some don’t. Pack chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers to make s’mores. If your group is in San Francisco, Ocean Beach is right outside Golden Gate Park and has fire pits available. For those in Southern California, Huntington Beach is home to more than 500 concrete fire rings. On the other side of the country, Florida’s Gulf Coast is known for bonfire-friendly beaches.

2. Fruit Picking:

From strawberries to marionberries and cherries—the summer season is all about fruit. Fruit picking is an easy activity that everyone in your group can participate in. With hardly any rules, fruit picking is pretty difficult to mess up. Do some research and see what fruit farms are near your meeting for a sweet team-building activity.

3. Baseball Games:

You may think taking your group to a baseball game would be too expensive, but you can find tickets at a reasonable price and receive a tiered discount depending on the size of your group. Many major league baseball teams offer discounted group packages, merchandise and food upgrades and discounted parking passes. Minor league teams offer big time entertainment at reasonable prices as well. Make it a tailgate to customize the experience.

More: Group Activities from Pacific World’s 2019 Top Destinations

4. Hiking:

For active groups, hiking is a popular summer activity. No matter where you are, there’s bound to be a hiking trail of some sort. A picnic with branded water bottles and blankets is one way to refuel before heading back to the starting point!

5. Pottery Painting:

Pottery painting can fire up the creative juices and result in some informal networking. Sit back and relax while painting a mug, bowl or whatever your heart desires. This activity will get you and your group out of the summer heat (even if it’s just for a few hours).

6. Barbeque or Potluck:

A barbeque or potluck is an affordable summer activity that could be as easy as strolling to a nearby park. Pack coolers full of food and drinks and have some fun! Ask each person to bring their favorite food to share with the group and tell the history of the recipe.

7. Wine Tasting:

There now seems to be a wine country in every state. In Sonoma County, many wineries offer meeting spaces, tours and free or discounted tastings. Alexander Valley Winery in Sonoma County boasts an outdoor area for your group to sit and sip. Groups of 10 or fewer are free and if you’re looking to taste their reserves, you can do so for only $10.

More: 8 Eco-Friendly Meeting Activities

8. Movie or Music at the Park or Beach:

Movie and music nights at the park are another way to leverage entertainment already available nearby. Most of the time these events are free and all you need to bring is yourself and something to sit on. In Denver, Stapleton, MCA puts on the Movie on the Green Series at Founders Green Park during the summer. Admission to the movies are free and proceeds from the concession stand go to local non-profits (think about your Corporate Social Responsibility).

9. Museums:

Museum Day is Sept. 21 and that means free entry to participating museums around the country! The Smithsonian is one of the many museums participating in Museum Day. This is a perfect day for your group to go explore some cultural exhibits. If your group can’t go that day, many museums offer discounted group rates and don’t require much planning ahead of time.

psav freeman company data solutions

Event professionals strive to create the most efficient, meaningful and inspirational experience for their participants. For that, we educate ourselves about various event-design methods, invent new formats and engage state-of-the-art event technologies. Yet, we study and apply little of what is fundamental to making events a truly impactful tool—namely, psychology and neuroscience.

Why are these fields critical to include into the knowledge and skill set of any event professional? It’s because at their heart, all events are about people—their interaction, cooperation and communication.

An understanding of human behavior patterns, biases and influencing factors can enhance interactions (such as between organizers and event participants, inside the event team, and between organizers and partners) in a more efficient and intentional manner. Guiding event attendees to achieve certain goals and change their behavior requires a solid understanding of what actually causes people to change and take action, what motivates them and what determines their actions and feelings. Psychology and neuroscience findings are therefore essential in planning almost every aspect of an event.

Prime for Learning

First, every event is about learning something new. For learning processes to be efficient, event professionals need to know what helps our brains digest, process and remember information; how our attention function works; how to avoid information overload; and what elements can support creativity and problem-solving skills. These are examples of where cognitive psychology and neuroscience domains become critical.

Consider Social Biases

Every event is about meeting with other people. That often means meeting with strangers who have their own unique character, mindset, way of communication and networking goals. To make networking successful for everyone involved, event organizers should be aware of the various types of personalities, how people feel and behave in the presence of others and how social relationships form—things that, for example, social psychology can largely inform us about.

Design Emotional Experiences

Finally, every event requires creating emotional peaks; it’s a moment in time that is filled with feelings very distinct from those we experience in regular life. How does your event make participants feel? Can you engineer specific emotions? People make decisions based on emotions first, so would your event participants decide to come back or promote your event among their networks based on how you made them feel?

As you can see, it is essential to learn how emotions are created, what elements of event design intensify which emotions, and how to build that emotional connection that is fundamental to the event’s success—that is, to learn more about psychology and neuroscience of emotions.

While I have no doubt that all the developments the events industry has been going through over the recent years are important, I believe we overlook one that is pivotal to making event experiences truly impactful: applying psychology and neuroscience to event design. I therefore urge all event professionals to stop sitting on a gold mine and instead leverage findings provided by these sciences to the benefit of their next event.

Victoria Matey is co-founder of Matey Events business events consultancy, and is an award-winning business events professional.

Responding to President Donald Trump’s recent tweets criticizing Baltimore as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess,” the leader of the city’s destination marketing organization fired back that it is an attractive city that has plenty of outstanding options for meeting groups and tourists.

“We have a dedicated team ready and able to deliver customized experiences that your attendees will never forget,” said Al Hutchinson, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore. “Baltimore offers the perks of a big city without the price tag, plus the added bonus of being located directly on the waters of Chesapeake Bay. The Baltimore Convention Center campus and Royal Farms Arena are just steps away from beautiful waterfront views. With new hotels, restaurants and entertainment options popping up all over Baltimore, the city is consistently serving up fresh new experiences for meeting attendees.”

Hutchinson singled out Hotel Revival, which opened in May 2018, and Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, which debuted in March 2017, as two of the city’s newest boutique hotels that offer excellent spaces for meetings and events.

Hotel Revival features some unique spaces, including four light-flooded private rooms, three private karaoke rooms and Topside, an energized rooftop restaurant and garden bar. Sagamore Pendry Baltimore sits atop the iconic Recreation Pier, overlooking the Inner Harbor in the city’s historic Fell’s Point neighborhood.

“This 129-room, luxury, boutique hotel embodies the city’s rich history, vibrant personality and idyllic harbor setting with character, inspiration and style,” Hutchinson said.

Canopy, Hilton’s newest hotel brand, will soon debut a 156-room property at Harbor Point, a 3 million-square-foot waterfront development site between Harbor East and historic Fell’s Point. The hotel will feature a first-floor waterfront lobby and a restaurant with an outdoor terrace, offering dramatic views of the Inner Harbor atop the 12-story Wills Street Wharf mixed-use building.

Among the other unique and unusual venues is Heron Room, which is tucked into a historic sailcloth mill overlooking the Jones Fall stream. It features a stylish, rustic setting with stone walls, exposed ceilings and modern updates. Also, The Sagamore Spirit Distillery, a waterfront whiskey distillery, features private events that include tastings and tours, as well as specialty tours that include sunset cruises, group bottling and cocktail lessons.

Baltimore also offers planners plenty of other down-time options.

“We know there are many positive things happening in our city daily that deserve to be on display,” Hutchinson said. “The city has so much to offer—from our celebrated Inner Harbor and world-class art scene to our African-American heritage and history. It’s worth visiting and worthy of investment; Baltimore is a wonderful place to live, work and play.”

Visit Baltimore recently launched a campaign, We’d Love to Meet You, which is targeted toward the meetings and conventions industry, and highlights experiences for meeting attendees outside the meeting room walls.

“We highlighted popular experiences like visiting the American Visionary Art Museum, participating in a tasting at Sagamore Spirit Distillery and connecting over cocktails at a tucked away speakeasy called The Elk Room,” Hutchinson said. “One of my new favorite spots where I love to refer jazz-loving visitors is Keystone Korner, a premier jazz and dinner club by NEA Jazz Master Todd Barkan and chef Robert Wiedmaier, located in Harbor East.”

Hutchinson emphasizes that Charm City features a wide diversity of other experiences.

“Baltimore offers the authentic city experience that today’s traveler is seeking,” he said. “Sports enthusiasts can catch an Orioles or a Ravens game, foodies can check out our thriving restaurant scene and history buffs can tour our historic neighborhoods and sites, including the storied Fort McHenry National Monument. These attractions can help to make any meeting a truly memorable experience.”

He invited Trump to visit Baltimore to see its many virtues, and called his criticisms “unprecedented.”

“This is an unprecedented verbal attack, and it’s unbecoming for our nation’s leader to continually criticize and attempt to debase a Great American City,” Hutchinson wrote in a statement. “Our country’s elected officials have influential voices. Words matter, including those that are distributed via social media.

“We invite President Trump to pay a visit to Baltimore so that he can better understand what’s really going on here—and that our city is home to hard-working families, as well as tech innovators, creative entrepreneurs, renowned chefs, rich history and a world-class arts scene.”

Fewer than 30 percent of hotel guests experience a “better than expected” night’s sleep, even though it is one of the most important parts of their experience, according to a new study.

This is among the findings in J.D. Power’s newly released 2019 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study. The study, which has been released annually for the past 23 years, was redesigned to include deeper guest profiling information, as well as extended coverage of the entire hotel customer journey. Now included in the study are: the path to purchase, pre-stay and post-stay communications, property-level information, updated food and beverage metrics, and vacation rental utilization metrics.

More: 8 Hotels Primed for a Good Night’s Rest

Sleep has the potential to drive overall satisfaction and brand loyalty, more than minibars and sleek lobbies. Yet, many hotels don’t realize this and are not delivering on guests’ preference for better-than-expected sleeping conditions.

“Delivering a superior sleep experience—from the quality of the bed, linens and pillows to the ambient sound and temperature of the room—is a huge opportunity for hotels to differentiate themselves from the pack and earn significant goodwill with guests,” said Jennifer Corwin, senior manager of consumer insights for travel and hospitality intelligence at J.D. Power.

More: 80 Percent of Biz Travelers Struggle to Sleep

Key Findings

  • Benefits of providing quality sleep: When hotel guests experience a better than expected quality of sleep, the overall satisfaction score increases 114 points (on a 1,000-point scale); but only 29 percent of hotel guests had this experience. Seventy-eight percent of guests who receive a better than expected quality of sleep say they “definitely will” return to that property and 71 percent say they “definitely will” return to that brand.
  • The anatomy of a good night’s sleep: The top contributors to quality of sleep are comfort of bed, quietness of room, comfort and quality of pillow, room temperature, and comfort and quality of linens. These items also resulted in higher satisfaction scores, which are even higher if the hotel offers extra items such as white noise/sound machines, earplugs, a robe, slippers and authentic local decor.
  • Quality of sleep correlates directly to the price of the room: The luxury hotel segment has the highest rate of better than expected sleep quality, coming in at 42 percent, followed by upper upscale at 33 percent, upscale (31 percent), upper midscale (28 percent), midscale (28 percent) and economy (23 percent).
  • Arrival and check-in experiences present an opportunity to shine: Efficiency, accuracy and offering a warm welcome were all key components, consistent with high hotel guest satisfaction scores. If or when any of those elements is not met, satisfaction scores drop as much as 100 points.

Study Ranking

The following hotel brands rank the highest in guest satisfaction in each of their segments.

  • Luxury: The Ritz-Carlton (fifth consecutive year)
  • Upper Upscale: Hard Rock Hotel
  • Upscale: Best Western Premier
  • Upper Midscale: Drury Hotels (14th consecutive year)
  • Midscale: Wingate by Wyndham (fifth consecutive year)
  • Economy: Microtel by Wyndham (second consecutive year)

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, the only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star hotel on Hawaii Island, has announced the return of its annual event, Chef Fest from Nov. 13 to 16.  The Smart Meetings team recently had the opportunity to get a taste of the event at a launch dinner hosted at Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco.

Now in its ninth year, Chef Fest is a multiday food and wine event featuring some of the country’s best culinary talent, mixologists and winemakers. Groups enjoy freshly prepared meals from award-winning chefs, paired with fine wines from leading vintners; sip craft cocktails by the pool; and experience one-of-a-kind interactions—all in an intimate, beachfront setting.

Eat and Drink

The Mission Statement cocktail from Four Seasons San Francisco’s brand new cocktail menu.

Thomas Bellec, executive chef of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, will be in attendance, along with an impressive lineup of celebrity guest chefs. Bellec is a 20-year Four Seasons veteran and member of Les Maitres Cuisiniers de France (Master Chefs of France).

Most food and beverage ingredients will be sourced from Hawaii Island—within 75 miles of Hualalai, and meals come farm-to-table, while master winemakers, sommeliers and mixologists will be on hand to match the perfect wine and cocktail for each meal.

Groups can meet for sit-down service or mingle during a relaxed, “toes-in-the-sand,” chef-led beach cookout. Chef talks are a part of each service.

Play and Learn

Chef Fest isn’t just about magnificent food and drink. Groups have the opportunity each day to try a variety of activities, such as bocce and brunch with the chefs; cocktail demonstrations and mixology classes; interactive cooking classes, led by leading chefs; a wine-blending class; a rare wine-tasting event and Haku Lei-making lessons with a master lei maker.

Social media and digital streaming have enabled U.S. professional sports to find fan bases in almost every corner of the world.

“These days, you’re just as likely to see a LeBron James jersey in Shanghai as Los Angeles,” said Jeffrey Ajluni, senior vice president of strategic partnerships and business development for U.S Travel Association. “Sports and tourism are more connected than ever.”

This internationalization of sports was apparent by the 17 sports-affiliated organizations that had booths on the show floor at the U.S. Travel’s IPW show in Anaheim last month. Representatives from Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer demonstrated the strong connection between tourism and sports.

More: Los Angeles Sports Venues Deliver Immersive Experiences

Such organizations have tried to embrace this international fan base and break into new markets as they play games in Mexico and Europe, and open offices in China. Why not capitalize on the interest and excitement that many international attendees have surrounding sports by incorporating them into your event? Here are a few suggestions on how to play to your attendees’ interests and integrate sports into your next event.

Socialize in a Stadium

NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas

After a long day of meetings, attendees often want to get out and have some fun, and international attendees certainly want to experience American culture. Provide attendees with entertainment, beer, food and culture at a basketball or football game. Few things are more American than Friday night football, so why not catch a college game in Michigan, Alabama or almost any other state, or attend an NFL game if tickets are available?

Organize in Oracle

Oracle Arena

Hosting a one-day event or looking for a spectacular final night meal? Why not host a meal, party or even your meetings in, say, Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants? Sports stadiums often have various kinds of rooms available so they can meet any size or decor needs you may have. Most stadiums, regardless of the sport, rent out space for private events—so let your attendees walk in the footsteps of Willie Mays or Steph Curry, and give them an experience they are not likely to forget.

Paraphernalia Prizes

If going to a game or a stadium isn’t in the cards, why not bring the sports to your venue? Organize friendly football, soccer or baseball games, and give away jerseys, hats and other team gear as prizes. Attendees who aren’t into playing the sports can still rock the gear! Give everyone a hat or keychain from a local team, and they will be thrilled.

Pencil in a glamorous new date on the design inspiration calendar this year. Celebrity designer Preston Bailey’s inaugural education event PB Live! hosted at The Legacy Castle in New Jersey will embody all the grandeur of the events Bailey is famous for planning. Known primarily as one of the industry’s top celebration visionaries, Bailey also designs public art installations. In anticipation for the event, which is to be held from Aug. 13-15 this year, Smart Meetings asked Bailey what attendees can expect and the relevance that the event might hold for the meeting planner.

How will the event be relevant for corporate meeting planners?

PB Live will be relevant for most portions of the industry. Designers are getting hands-on experience, while planners are getting concepts and ideas from the best planners in the industry. There is also guidance for the corporate market. The agenda ranges from talks on digital marketing, rules and expectations from a venue and how to create an enduring business identity to hands-on sessions around floral sculptures and ceremony designs. So there really is something for every kind of planner.

What most excites you about PB Live?

We managed to get some of the best speakers and partners in the event world. Attendees can expect to hear from wedding planner Marcy Blum, PartySlate editor Pamela Rothbard and Visual Comet’s Dennis Jaigoban, amongst others. I am also extremely excited about being able to create this event from start to finish.

How did you decide on the location for PB Live?

I was looking for a very specific location where all the participants would feel as if they are going to a glamorous party. When I first saw The Legacy Castle, I was blown away by its grandeur and great management. The castle also has the latest technology in lighting and video mapping.

What will meeting planners gain from this event that they might not be able to get at another event?

I am very interested in education. I have done several smaller conferences before, and my main goal is to have everyone walk away with their heads swimming with valuable information. For that reason, I have asked each speaker to share three ideas or experiences that they have learned, which they think no one else knows.

If there was one piece of advice you would give to event planners, what would it be?

Event planners are what I call the heart of every event. My only advice is that there are no short cuts, to be a successful planner you need experience.

Related: Lisa Messina Unveils Event Design Certificate Program

Season two  of the popular HBO series Big Little Lies came to a close this past weekend and we’re not ready to let it go. The series uses Monterey, California, as the backdrop while it portrays the lives of wealthy and complicated mothers who all share, you guessed it, a big secret. While not all of us can live like Madeline or Renata in multi-million-dollar homes on the Monterey coast, we can all experience the natural beauty and wonderful atmosphere that Monterey has to offer (which makes the show so aesthetically beautiful). The beautiful ocean views and relaxed, yet luxurious vibe that the town offers television viewers and lends itself to dramatic meeting locations.

Big Meetings

Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa

For large groups, Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa offers more than 30,000 sq. ft. of event space from ballrooms to board rooms. The outdoor Plaza is situated over Monterey Bay and offers 180-degree views of the ocean. With 290 rooms, this hotel can accommodate some of your biggest events.

Portola Hotel and Spa at Monterey Bay

Adjacent to the Monterey Conference Center, this newly redesigned property offers 60,000 sq. ft. of outdoor space and the same amount of indoor event space. Not only is it large enough for all of your guests, this nautical-inspired hotel captures the natural beauty of Monterey and is located within walking distance of local shops, cafes, beaches and trails. It is also  LEED Certified by the U.S. Green Council and the first truly ‘green’ hotel in central California.

Little Meetings

The Monterey Hotel

Located in downtown Monterey, this boutique hotel is the affordable, convenient Victorian guesthouse of your dreams. It offers 69 guest rooms and two elegant meeting rooms behind the doors of a beautiful Victorian facade. It is located only minutes from the Monterey Convention Center and the aquarium.

The Sanctuary Beach Resort – Monterey Bay

For an experience that is a bit more luxurious, take your small group and fill up the 60 guest cottages at The Sanctuary Beach Resort. Located on the beach, these cottages and common spaces, including board-rooms with ocean views, games on the beach and oysters in the Salt Wood Kitchen, create a little, well, sanctuary for you and your attendees to meet, relax and escape.

Carmel Valley Ranch

Just a short drive away from Monterey lies the sun-filled Carmel Valley, and sitting on 500-acres in this picturesque setting lies Carmel Valley Ranch. This all-suite property boasts in-room fireplaces and outdoor soaking tubs. Meeting spaces include board rooms, terraces and a courtyard. While the intimate rooms and luxurious suites are perfect for small meetings, the property is large enough to accommodate your bigger events while maintaining an intimate, small meeting atmosphere. This really is an all-inclusive property with restaurants, activities (outdoor adventures, beekeeping, arts and crafts, tennis and fitness classes) and even a special cocktail, the ‘Monterey 5’ (if you know, you know) to celebrate Big Little Lies.

Follow in the steps of Celeste, Madeline and Jane

Whether they are discussing their kids, their “lie” or each other, the characters in ‘Big Little Lies’ seem to do so in the perfect setting. It is either during a long walk on a picturesque beach, over a latte in a local cafe or wine in an atmospheric bar and the characters (or more realistically, the producers) really do know how to take advantage of their surroundings. We suggest you do the same, so here are a few suggestions of attendee activities so your attendees can experience the true spirit of Monterey.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Chances are you’ve heard of this famous aquarium nestled into the California coast. With opportunities to rent out the aquarium for events, it would be the perfect Monterey-inspired dinner venue. Alternatively, invite guests for a few hours to look at the more than 550 species of marine life!

Folktale Winery

You can hardly have a California based event and not include wine in some way. Located in the Carmel Valley neighboring Monterey, why not treat your attendees to wine tasting in this French Chateau inspired winery surrounded by 16 acres of vineyards.

Sail Monterey

For a fresh view of Monterey, take to the high seas and book a private charter around the bay for an afternoon of sailing, sun and sensational views.

Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism announced new safety measures last week to reassure travelers to the island in the wake of media coverage of tourists experiencing health issues—and even death—over the past several months. The situations are being investigated, but the U.S. State Department has not issued an elevated travel warning.

Here is a summary of proactive steps planners can take to help ensure the safety and security of attendees.

Affect on the Meeting Industry

Paul Steinmentz, director of The American Meetings Network at American Meetings, Inc., says, “Lots of meeting planners are being affected [by recent events]. Meetings are cancelling, groups are cancelling and relocating throughout the Caribbean.”

He blames public perception as the media frenzy around recent events continues to take its toll on the country. “I think there’s a real case of optics,” he says. “The problem is how meeting attendees are going to feel knowing they have a meeting in Punta Cana, having just read the news [even though] the likelihood that something will happen in reality is low.”

What’s Being Done

The new safety initiatives include requiring hotels to: post information on how to contact embassies, the tourism police force and 911 services in every guest room; increase the number of monitoring measures; and having medical facilities located inside. Also, a multilingual emergency tourist center has opened in Bavaro, home to ever-popular Punta Cana. Hotel inspections will be doubled, and now include detailed food and handling protocols as well as comprehensive information on all food-and-beverage suppliers.

Licensing and training of medical personnel working inside first-aid facilities at hotels will be scrutinized and the country’s Department of Tourism Services and Companies will closely monitor the medical offices within hotels. In addition, aquatic facilities such as pools will be closely inspected, and certified lifeguards will be in place.

The Hard Rock Hotel, where two tourists died, pulled alcohol from minibar dispensers in June.

Exercise Precaution

Want to plan an event in the Dominican Republic, but not sure how to go about ensuring attendees feel safe? Prevention is key. For example, encourage attendees to make two copies of their passport—one for safekeeping with a trusted person and the other on hand as a back-up in case their real passport is stolen.

Always make sure you are easy to locate in case of emergency—and advise attendees to do the same—by enrolling in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a free service for  U.S. citizens and nationals provided by the State Department. Trips are registered with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, and registrants get safety alerts about their destination.

Reassure Attendees with Travel Insurance

No matter where you plan meetings, one preventive measure you can take is to get travel insurance. Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com, says his company has seen a dramatic increase in travel insurance purchases, especially for travel to the Dominican Republic, this year.  He notes that coverage for those with the Dominican Republic as their primary destination is up 60 percent this year (as of June). When comparing month-to-date, Sandberg’s company saw a 200 percent increase compared to last year.

Sandberg advises travelers who are going abroad to purchase travel insurance that offers medical assistance with evacuation coverage for worst-case scenarios.

“Where travel insurance can provide real value for those traveling to the Dominican Republic is with emergency medical and emergency evacuation coverage,” he says. “If you were to get sick, you’d be able to go to a hospital there and have those medical expenses covered. In a severe or crisis situation, if you could not get treated in the Dominican Republic, then you will be covered for a medical evacuation if that’s included in your plan.

Coverage is available for groups if there is a minimum of 10 applicants. Everyone under the plan will have to travel together, with some flexibility—as long as the group has the same itinerary.  “Group plans are a great way for leaders to make sure everyone has coverage,” Sandberg says.

Keep in mind, however, that while travel insurance covers trip cancellation and interruption for a wide range of reasons—from unexpected illness to hurricanes—it will not provide trip cancellation protection for travelers having second thoughts about their Dominican Republic trips due to fears.