From flooding and wildfires to the collapse of airlines, there are no guarantees your holiday will always go to plan. But there are ways you can protect yourself, says guest columnist Jim Purkiss, Group Sales & Marketing Director of Islands Insurance.
‘You’ve flicked through the brochures, browsed prices online, checked your diary and now you’re ready for your 2020 travel plans. What could possibly go wrong?
‘Well, if 2019 is anything to go by, quite a lot. This year we have experienced everything from shark attacks in the Bahamas to flooding, wildfires to the failure of a number of airlines and tour companies.
‘Of course, most travel passes without a hitch but as you can see from the above list, sometimes things can go spectacularly wrong and it’s at that moment you’ll take a bow for deciding to protect yourself and your family with comprehensive travel insurance.
‘Some people take out single trip insurance for a specific journey, while others purchase annual cover that protects them whenever they want to travel. It’s possible now to also buy bespoke travel insurance that is truly tailored to your personal or family needs.’
There are some things you simply cannot plan for
‘So many of us are travelling more frequently and further afield these days, with air travel becoming easier and more affordable. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the number of tourist arrivals by air has risen from just 25 million in 1950 to over 1.4 billion in 2018. Despite that staggering increase, flying remains one of the safest forms of travel today. But we all know it doesn’t take much to disrupt your journey – from lost baggage and bad weather to technical faults and strikes.
‘And there are some things you simply cannot plan for. Take, for example, the United Airlines flight bound for Hong Kong that diverted to Canada because of a medical emergency, but because there were no customs officers on duty, passengers spent a very uncomfortable (and presumably cold) 15 hours stranded on the aircraft.
‘And you wouldn’t expect fires in the Amazonian Rainforest would affect your travel plans, but Brazilian airports had to be shut down as the thick smoke made it unsafe for aircraft to operate. Then there was the failure of Wow, the low-cost operator and Germania, who operated charter flights out of Jersey and, of course, the high-profile collapse of one of the world’s oldest tour operators, Thomas Cook.’
Trouble at sea
‘It’s not just in the air but also on the sea that trouble can take you unawares. In March, more than 1,300 passengers on board a cruise liner became marooned in rough seas off the coast of Norway because of engine failure. A number of people were injured and had to be airlifted from the ship by helicopters. All of these things can not only inconvenience you, they can cost you money if you have not taken out adequate insurance.
‘These are extreme examples of what can go wrong but often it’s something far more mundane that spoils what should be an enjoyable and exciting experience: lost credit cards, minor bumps and scratches to your hire car; a problem with your accommodation, a sports injury or holiday sickness.
‘While you cannot plan for every eventuality, you can ensure that if something does go wrong you have insurance to get you and your family home or to safety, and any loss you may suffer is compensated.
‘Whatever your travel plans for this Christmas and into 2020, you can check out the travel insurance options on www.islands.je or give us a call in Guernsey or Jersey.’
