Planning a trip you’ve been wanting to take for years can be so exciting. Travelling can be rewarding in so many ways, but with that excitement may come unpredictability. There are a whole host of unforeseen circumstances that may come along with jet setting such as emergencies, natural disasters, lost or stolen luggage and more that could interfere with your travel plans and potentially leave you out thousands of dollars. Adding a travel insurance to your next trip could help cover you for anything that may arise. Here’s why you should look into traveler’s insurance for your next vacation abroad.
1. For More Expensive or International Trips
Typically, travel insurance only makes sense if you’re embarking on an international trip out of your home country. International trips tend to be more expensive, with more money and planning being invested into the expedition. On average, international trips last about 12 days and cost around three thousand dollars a person, which is much more of a hit to your wallet than a weekend trip within driving distance. There also tends to be less risk on a domestic trip than an international one, so insurance is not always necessary. Often times your current health insurance should take care of any domestic medical emergencies. However, the risk of losing thousands of dollars or needing money for emergencies on an international trip is always possible, so traveler’s insurance is necessary when heading overseas to ensure your hard-earned money stays in your pocket.
2. In Case of Natural Disasters or Evacuations
Depending on where you are travelling, the weather is often uncertain to a tourist. This especially true when travelling to tropical climates where hurricanes, tornados, floods or earthquakes are common. Due to this un predictability, it is recommended to have travel insurance in case of any travel delays, cancellations, or emergency evacuations due to harsh weather or natural disasters. As well, it is important to remember that cruises often will set out to destinations where natural disasters are likely to strike. Combined with this fact, cruise packages tend to be a better deal during heavy hurricane season, so adding an insurance plan on to a cruise deal could be a good idea during those times. Weather can be unpredictable, and ultimately, something we cannot change. So regardless of your method of travel, making sure you have solid travel or flight insurance can really protect you in the long run.
3. Potential Emergency Medical Emergencies
One of the most common reasons why a tourist might be looking into travel insurance is for unforeseen medical emergencies that could occur during a trip. Rightfully so, this could be the one of the most important reasons to consider adding an insurance plan. Health isn’t something to take likely, and in case medical attention is necessary when travelling, it is a good idea to make sure you get the assistance you need and not have to spend out of pocket. Depending on your insurance plan, when you travel out of country you may not be covered for emergency medical services if you become ill or get injured. It’s not only doctor consultations one might have to pay for, but potentially overnight hospital stays and medication, which can get pricey. Travel insurance can help save you upwards of ten thousand dollars, to even fifty or a hundred thousand dollars in necessary health expenses.
As mentioned previously, international travel leaves room for more risk, which means more chance for illness or injury. Be prepared if anything happens on your next trip abroad by adding travel insurance to your vacation or making sure your insurance plan contains international travel insurance, which many do not. However, ninety-three percent of credit cards do offer accident insurance when traveling. So, look into your current coverage and consider adding a plan if you do not already have one.
4. Unexpected Cancellations, Delays, or Extension of Trip
Planning a vacation can be fun and exciting, however, sometimes life events can get in the way and trips need to be delayed, extended, or cancelled to accommodate. Any number of unforeseen circumstances can arise when a trip is already planned, such as illness or death of a family member before or during your trip.
Travel insurance is especially important if you have a non-refundable ticket. With life being so unpredictable, you don’t want to lose out on potentially thousands of dollars on airfare and lodging. However as mentioned, if your trip is relatively low-cost trip insurance may not be worth it simply for unexpected cancellations. More expensive, international, or lengthy vacations are really where you stand to lose the most money. If setting out on a low expense trip, look into hotel cancellation policies before committing to a travel insurance plan right away.
5. Security of Baggage and Personal Belongings
One of the most common reasons why traveler’s look into insurance when planning trips is to cover any lost, stolen or delayed baggage. Our personal belongings are vital for travelling anywhere, and often irreplaceable. However, with the addition of travel insurance, if any important items are lost or stolen, or delayed, you will be reimbursed. In fact, having your luggage lost or delayed by airlines is fairly common. In 2015, 23.1 million bags were either lost or delayed, and took over a day to get back to the owners. Many airlines might not even cover the cost of reimbursing lost, stolen, or delayed baggage. While losing a I priceless item may never be able to be repaired by any amount of insurance, having travel protection could help you replace many things you need every day to get by, such as laptops and electronics or clothing.
Depending on the type of trip you are embarking on and how many important personal items you are bringing with you, travel insurance could be a huge life saver! Do you feel like travel insurance is worth it for international trips? What are your experiences with using it? Let us know!