Towards the renewal of the tourism industry – the changes that have taken place in the travel insurance post COVID-19

The sky is slowly opening up, with more and more countries agreeing to accept vaccinated tourists and among the things that have changed their face since the COVID-19 came into our lives, is the field of travel insurance. Just as there is the world before September 11, 2001 and after September 11, so now there is the world before the corona and the world after the corona. If flying a year and a half ago required of us a, b and c, then today in order to fly it requires a, b, c, d and z. 

These days, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel insurance industry has changed its face. 

Until a year ago people used to rely on their credit card rewarding program to obtain travel insurance. Sometimes they needed to pay a dollar or two a day and besides those who did skiing, trekking or a long trips to exotic destinations, most tourists pretty much underestimated travel insurance and even debated whether travel insurance was necessary for them at all. In such a situation, if something happens – there is no going back, and it does not have to be something serious. One can walk down the street, fall, sprain a leg and a simple action like dressing the foot in a mid-Milan emergency room can reach several hundred or even thousands of dollars.

A year ago with the outbreak of the corona pandemic all the insurance companies immediately stopped all travel insurance. After that they just stopped travel insurance sales to the United States or Ukraine. There was a time when it was impossible to find travel insurance in any reputable company in the United States. 

In any basic policy there is an overlap between the coverages, as required by the regulator. It is recommended to check that your policy include coverage for cancellations related to COVID-19 or pandemic events. Most travel policies are now opting to include pandemic coverage.

Additional basic add-ons can be added to any basic policy such as winter sports or extreme sports, an extension to cancel (“Cancel for Any Reason” – CFAR) or shorten the trip is a necessary and significant addition during this period. It is recommended to check if the policy offer cover for damage or loss to a laptop and mobile phone, cover to death or disability as a result of an accident and even car rental insurance.

read the small print in travel insurance policies

People are not always aware of all the possibilities, most of the time it’s in the small print, or they did not notice or read it. Eventually, when do they find out – when something happens. And in a situation like this, it’s the biggest trouble there is – when it happens it’s too late. It is impossible to regret or buy real-time travel insurance. 

In conclusion, with the opening of the sky and before going on vacation abroad, it is recommended, worthwhile and important to purchase travel insurance tailored to the needs of the passenger and the nature of the trip. Needless to say that it’s important to compare the available options before making a decision.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.