In any kind of traveling whether it is a holiday trip to a beach or an official trip to a business destination, you only think of the fun you are going to have. But the long-term tourists and business travelers as well as other members of the travel industry are aware that while traveling is a lot of fun it is also a lot of the unknown. Delays, flight cancellations, delayed or lost luggage not to mention medical cases while on the journey, make travel insurance an essential buy.
However, travel insurance acts as your backup when things do not go according to plan; you can concentrate on having fun. In this article, we will consider the role of travel insurance, describe scenarios that illustrate why travel insurance is necessary, and learn how a travel agent may recommend the right policy that will suit your trip.
Why Travel Insurance Matters
Such insurance is intended to mitigate several dangers in travel or during transit. A couple of them may include; Cancellation of a trip due to personal issues, act of Gods, or health complications which may occur when you are on the trip. Here are the core reasons why travel insurance is crucial:
Medical Emergencies Abroad:As noted earlier, healthcare varying in different countries and treatment in some of these countries can be very costly.
Trip Cancellations and Delays: These are circumstances beyond your control and they include weather conditions, strikes or in case you have a personal issue that warrants your attention you are likely to delay your trip or even cancel it.
Lost or Stolen Luggage: Forgetting personal effects is no fun, more so if you are on a trip where you run out of handy items such as passports, money or medication.
Accidental Injuries: Adventurous tours based on sports or other activities may result in accidents, and people will need medical assistance.
Natural Disasters: Natural disasters such as earthquakes or hurricanes, or any other calamity which you might not have expected can DEFINITELY ruin your fun.
Below are some realistic situations that would help you understand when travel insurance can be really useful.
Scenarios when travel insurance becomes necessary.
Story-1 : It is Sarah who is a mother of two children over the Weekend who gets busy planning for a family holiday to a beach resort destination. Finally they reach their place and the moments of fun making begins where they enjoy the warm sandy beach. One day and a few hours into the vacation, Sarah’s youngest daughter – Emily, falls sick and develops a high fever and has to be taken to the hospital. Taking Emily into the nearest hospital, Sarah is told that Emily needs to stay and treat the patient overnight.
Travel insurance then comes into play and for Sarah as a foreign traveller, her travel insurance takes care of Emily’s medical bills, her hospital bills, and even comes with an interpreter to help her explain things to the medical practitioners. If she did not have health insurance, she would have been surprised with a bill from the hospital with thousands of dollars, on what was meant to be a relaxing vacation.
Story- 2: OVERCOMING FACTORS INFLUENCING BUSINESS TRAVEL: LOST LUGGAGE WHILE ON A BUSINESS JOURNEY
Michael is a business traveler, so he can expect long plane arrivals and hotel accommodations. He is currently on a business trip around the country to attend a crucial conference where he is expected to make a speech. After getting to where he was going, Michael is forced to take a seat near a baggage claim belt and after waiting for sometime he realises that his luggage is not amongst those that were being offloaded.
When there were only several hours left until his presentation, Michael freaked out, as he discovered that he lost his business formal wear and presentation equipment in the piece of luggage. Thank goodness Michael made sure to make the purchase of travel insurance that protects him in cases of missing or delayed luggage. He is able to buy a new suit with the help of the insurance company and get a copy of the presentation materials to be delivered the next day, so with that taken care of Michael’s ability to stay formal, relaxed and composed to deliver his speech on time.
Story-3 :: Medical loss – If not due to weather:
For more than a year, the bride to be Lucy and her fiancé, Adam, were planning their fantasy honeymoon. They arranged for the total package trip to Italy, and all the flight bookings, accommodation at various hotels and organised excursions of the major sites like Colosseum, Amalfi coast etc. However, as with every expected plan, young Adam gets sick a day before the intended travel and cannot go.
Had they not been able to afford travel insurance, we realised that both Lucy and Adam risk losing thousands of dollars in deposits which cannot be refunded. Even though they bought an all inclusive travel plan, they can cancel the trip and get their money back. Though disappointed, they equally do not stress about the money wasted which could have been invested in a trip they recorded no joy from, due to the sickness of our son, Adam.
Types of Travel Insurance
One must understand that no two types of coverage are ever the same and various types of insurance exist to meet specific needs. If one is to choose the right kind of travel insurance policy, one must know how to differentiate the numerous kinds of policies.
Trip Cancellation Insurance: Protects travelers in the event that your travel is canceled due to illness, weather and a host of other factors.
Medical Insurance: Offers medical evacuation, which includes the costs of admission, visits to doctors, and medicines during the foreign trip.
Evacuation Insurance: Provides for emergency transportation resulting from natural calamities or political disturbances.
Baggage Insurance: Ensures that in the event you lose, get them stolen or delayed, you are protected.
Accidental Death Insurance: Covers deaths or permanent and total disabilities that may occur while traveling.
Ways through which travel agents assist you to select a perfect travel insurance.
While online booking platforms and self-planned itineraries are becoming increasingly popular, there’s one area where travel agents truly excel: the ideal travel insurance policy.
How Travel Agents Help You Choose the Right Travel Insurance
Tailored Recommendations
Travel agents have a vast understanding of the travel insurance companies and they advise you on which policy to take depending on the type of trip that you are undertaking. For example, if you are going mountain biking, skiing, bungee jumping or scuba diving, a travel agent will see to it that these activities are included in your insurance policy.
For example, you are planning your one month backpacking journey through Southeast Asia. Depending on your travel, a good travel agent will advise you to take a policy that has medical expenses, emergency evacuations and possibly adventure sports.
Help in Reading Small Text
There is always fine print with Comprehensive coverage policies and travel insurance exclusions that a traveler may not read. A travel agent acts between you and these companies and translates the fact and figures of different policies, what is covered and what is not. For example, some policies may not cover certain illnesses which the client has been diagnosed with before they took the policy or some policies may limit the coverage amount for specific countries.
Thus, with the help of a travel agent you will not buy a policy that does not meet your needs. Instead, a personalised AM takes place, and you receive a tour suggestion that is appropriate for your travel plan and your pocket.
Immediate Support in Cases of Disaster
As one will expect, things can go wrong at any given one time during the trip and time can be very important. A travel agent saves you time by immediately communicating with your insurer on your behalf making sure you get the assistance you need as soon as possible. Arranging medical evacuation, searching for lost luggage or any type of insurance related blues travel agents act as a go-between for you and your insurer.
Peace of Mind
Notwithstanding the role of being an intermediary booking platforms such as flights and hotels, the role of travel agents is much broader than that. It brings comfort when it comes to matters of the unknown, particularly when people consider travelling. Through the offering of a right insurance policy, they help travelers be ready for any incidents to occur in course of the trip hence enabling travelers to travel with full confidence.
Conclusion: The Significance of Travel Insurance.
Travel insurance is not something you purchase for your travel package; it is a necessity when planning for a trip. If you are planning a leisure trip, a business trip, or an adventurous trip, insurance when planning for a trip as it covers all the risks that are associated with uncertainty that comes with travelling.
Ambulance, a broken leg, a non-refundable airline ticket, an earthquake, a hurricane or other force majeure, travel insurance takes care of all these. When you consult a professional travel agent, you can be well advised on the kind of insurance cover to take and therefore when you set for that journey you are well protected.
So before your next trip, remember: this makes it quite clear by saying that travel insurance is actually investing in the peace of your mind. Safe travels!
