I love vacations and holiday getaways, I know you do too! I mean, who doesn’t want to take a break from the hustle and bustle we have to deal with on a daily basis. Some vacations are expensive and may take weeks or even months to plan. We would not
want to lose out on such an investment due to unforeseen events such as cancellation or sickness.

What is travel insurance?

This is a policy that covers persons who travel abroad and would wish to insure themselves and their property from accidents and loss in the course of their travel.

Why do I need travel insurance?

Things may not always go as planned. Your travel plans could get squashed due to a number of reasons with little notice subjecting you to different losses. For example, an illness or severe weather conditions that may affect your travel plans among others.

The good news is that, travel insurance is designed and priced to come to your rescue and protect you against financial loss that may occur before or during your trip.

It is a smart move to arrange for travel insurance if you want to join the millions of people traveling across the globe every year.

When is the best time to get travel insurance?

Many plans allow you to get a travel insurance cover until a day before your trip. However, the best time is usually within 15 days of making the initial deposit for your trip. This qualifies you for bonus coverage.

How does travel insurance work?

Not every traveler will have the same insurance; the type of insurance will depend on a few variables that will be considered and matched with the various travel insurance plans. We have listed a few below:

• Trip destination
• Nature of the trip
• Persons involved
• Age
• Activities involved
  such as business or sports
• How much you are
  willing to spend

What does travel insurance cover?

The big trip is coming up and travel insurance can help protect it. The travel insurance focuses on you, your property and experiences. These are the major cause of worry by the way. There are various travel insurance plans, let us break them down.

• Emergency medical assistance

It is possible that you may get injured or even fall sick while on your trip. Many health insurance policies may not cover for your hospital expenses if you are overseas.

Health care is quite costly in places like U.S. On the other hand, some countries may not have quality healthcare services, in case you take a trip to locations in developing nations like in some Central African countries.

Tragedy may strike, you do not want to gamble with your savings or worst case scenario, be dependent on community crowd funding to raise money, that is, after you have been held hostage in hospital due to unpaid bills.

Travel insurance will cover for sudden illnesses and injuries that may occur during the trip and are in need of immediate treatment in a foreign country. A good emergency medical coverage may even ensure you get airlifted back home in case of serious
injury or illness.

Helpful Tip;

• Check with your health insurer and find out your coverage type and limitations when at home and abroad.
• Read and understand the policy exclusions and limits of the policy- make sure it meets your expected needs.
• Determine whether the policy is a primary payment policy or secondary payment policy.

• Trip Cancellation Cover

Plans have already been made and you are set to go on your trip but for some reason, you have to cancel. Trip cancellation coverage
will cover you.

You went on a trip and for some reason such as bereavement or serious illness of a loved one; you have to interrupt your trip and return home. Trip interruption coverage will cover you.

Travel insurance will cover for your costs according to their different package covers. For example, you will be reimbursed costs of your insured trip in case of cancellation or interruption.

Helpful Tip;

• Purchase travel insurance plans that cover for trip interruption and read all the available plans from your provider. Ensure you
  read each detail of the covered reasons as well as the excluded reasons of the plan.
• When booking your holiday arrange your travel insurance too so that, in case there is an emergency that would interfere with your trip,
  you get covered straight away.

• Baggage Loss Coverage

You should consider buying a baggage loss cover in case your baggage gets lost or destroyed by the airline you use. Some people also find themselves losing their baggage through theft in a hotel or cruise ship.

A vacation could be disrupted when one loses his/ her luggage. This could be frustrating, losing necessary items such as clothes or business items. Airlines may give you a lot of trouble in case they lose your luggage; receipts and documentation, lists of things they would not reimburse or even fail to admit that your baggage is lost!

Make a smart move, get a comprehensive travel insurance that covers for lost, stolen or damaged luggage while traveling. Coverage will be for the entire trip.

Helpful tip;

• Check the coverage limit.
• Check if the baggage loss coverage is primary or secondary to the coverage offered by means such as airline.
• Check your homeowners’ policy or renters’ policy that cover for off premises theft for portable items such as cameras, laptops, watches etc.

• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance

God forbid that you die accidentally during your trip or lose a limb while on your trip, this coverage would come in handy

• Flight Insurance

In the event of a plane crash and the insured dies, the beneficiaries will be paid the death benefit.

There are a variety of benefits from other travel insurance policy types available that one may consider, depending on the travel destination or circumstances. They include;

• Missed connection
• Travel delay
• 24-hour worldwide  emergency travel assistance
• Rental car coverage
• Group travel medical insurance
• Repatriation ofremains

Where do you buy travel insurance?

You can get it from travel insurance companies, travel professionals, insurance agents or travel suppliers or online through insurance aggregator.

Note; Travel insurance will not cover for everything you may do or experience in your trip. There is an exclusion list that varies from policy
to policy. It would be good to read your policy first before you commit to one.

Parting Shot

Purchasing travel insurance is not mandatory. However, it is a smart thing to do as the insurance company takes care of any uncertainties which gives one peace of mind and space. Getting travel insurance is fast and one will not need to break a bank to get covered. Contact your travel insurance agency and review carefully what they cover to ensure that you are adequately covered.

A trip is an investment, don’t wait, get a travel insurance!