Travel Insurance

Is your travel investment worth protecting?

I want you to close your eyes and imagine something. Take yourself back to June of 2019, two years ago. Long before the pandemic became the new normal. Think about planning your ideal vacation and what that takes. How would you decide where to go, what to do, and make sure that you could do it? You’re probably thinking that you’d create a vision board of inspiration, contact your favorite travel advisor, discuss options and pricing, then design the vacation that fits your budget and dreams. If you’ve never purchased travel insurance before, you need to keep reading.

Consider imagining the same vacation now, two years later, COVID is a part of our everyday lives. Many of us find it difficult to even know where to begin. New anxieties have developed that influence our perspectives on travel and the risks we are willing to take. All of these new opinions and ideas impact the type of vacation we are willing to take after the pandemic, as well as how safe we will feel during that trip. Thankfully, there are options to make easing back into the ease of vacationing more…well, easy!

Stick to What You Know

Traveling domestically, even though travel restrictions are being lifted globally, is still an excellent option for your next vacation. There is less to worry about with international regulations, including COVID testing expectations. One thing I’ve learned in this last year is that there is plenty to explore in our own backyard here in the US. And many of these options are totally original and unexpected! 

Always Choose Insurance

After trying to save travelers on the road or with future travel during the pandemic I cannot stress this enough – get travel insurance! It can make or break not only your trip, but also your wallet if things go really south. Here’s a quick rundown of the benefits that come with most insurance packages.

• You have financial security if your trip must be canceled due to unexpected circumstances 
• In the case of natural disasters, many insurance companies coordinate evacuations efficiently
• Transportation of children (and even animals in some plans) if you get ill or injured and cannot make your flight
• Event ticket fee protection if you are unable to make it to pre-purchased events due to cancellation
• If someone passes away while on vacation, you can get them home. This one is hard to consider, but the cost and stress that comes with this transport while in grief can be devastating – and avoided with travel insurance. 

These are just a few scenarios where travel insurance can truly give security to your vacation and bank account. If travel insurance is not for you, I encourage you to at least opt-in for travel assistance through an insurance company. These non-insurance services can include pre-trip advice on conditions, help with lost prescriptions or finding U.S.-standard medical care, lost luggage assistance, and guidance to the nearest U.S. embassy if your passport is ever lost. Of course, all travel insurance plans are different, so be sure to check out different options and review them closely with your travel advisor. Including the fees of insurance in your travel budget is a surefire way to get you to, from, and through your vacation experience safely and securely. 

What would you do?

Consider these scenarios – what would you do if it happened on your vacation? 

• What if you are involved in a car crash
• You could injure yourself before or during the trip
• Ever had your baggage get lost
• Your flight is delayed for several hours, and you need to get a hotel for the night
• You have to cancel your cruise, or are delayed and miss your connection
• Someone in your immediate family who isn’t traveling gets sick, injured, or passes away
• You miss your cruise due to a delayed flight and have to pay fees to fly to the port of call
• A natural disaster impacts your travel plans

Would you be able to adapt and handle these situations? Traveling with insurance means that you always have a plan and someone to help you figure it out. 

Let’s Hit the Road!

Whether you’re ready to fly on cloud nine to Italy or stay closer to home on the waterways of the U.S., it’s finally time to get back out there. Having a team of travel professionals at your side will make transitioning back to travel feel more natural, and much less stressful. Together we can safely cash in on those vacation vision boards and create a new-normal in the post-pandemic travel world.

If you have questions about travel insurance, schedule a complimentary consultation with me here.