Most travelers who had trips impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic weren’t forced to cancel their trips due to contracting the virus, according to travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth.
Less than 30% of the Covid-related claims the company saw were due to travelers contracting the virus.
The other 70% were from travelers unable to reach their destination, or leave their residence, due to other factors related to the pandemic, including border closures, quarantine requirements, and canceled flights and cruises.
Despite the widespread vaccine rollout, these types of travel interruptions are still happening.
Industry experts report hearing from travelers who are still facing lasting impacts of the pandemic, including flight changes and cancellations, rental car shortages, and vaccine and Covid testing requirements.
Furthermore, new variants of the coronavirus mean the travel industry is not out of the woods yet. The uncertainty around the effectiveness of vaccines on these strands may cause borders to remain closed, and destinations to continue to enforce restrictions, like negative test results and enforced quarantines at the destination.
“The Covid-19 pandemic proved the vulnerability of the travel industry, and it hasn’t recovered yet,” says Squaremouth CMO, Megan Moncrief, “We are still hearing from travelers whose trips are impacted.”
Experts recommend looking at your insurance needs carefully. Credit Card companies often offer trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance when they’re used to book flights and cruises, however the card’s policy may not cover the full amount, and this insurance may even be suspended or invalidated during periods when governments issue do not travel warnings. This goes for out of country medical insurance as well.
Therefore it’s best to discuss your insurance needs before booking with a trusted supplier and find out what limitations or exclusions you may face in your home country. As well, they should be able to help you better understand the financial risks in booking and travleing right now. Like most things in life, with insurance, the devil is in the details. So shop wisely.
