If your holiday comes with added risk, you should be giving your travel insurance added consideration, says guest columnist Jim Purkiss, Group Sales & Marketing Director of Islands Insurance.
‘The season of joy, goodwill and over-indulging is almost upon us but not everyone is looking forward to collapsing on the sofa in front of the TV this Christmas. For many, they’ll be heading off to different corners of the UK and further afield to spend the holidays or planning how they will spend their vacations in the year ahead.
‘For a large number of us, that means strapping planks to our feet to glide down icy mountain sides, or for others heading in the opposite direction by scaling seemingly impossible heights, because we are adventurous and active and like to spend our time away undertaking exciting pursuits.
‘Whether it’s enjoying our favourite sport or ticking something off our bucket list, Channel Islanders participate in all manner of activities in foreign lands that can bring with them an element of added risk, so it’s important to make sure you are adequately and properly insured.
‘With our travel insurance you can now choose either a one-off policy to cover a specific event or you can benefit from annual cover tailored to your lifestyle. The Islands Prestige and Bespoke travel policies are supported by Millstream, one of the nation’s leading specialist travel insurance companies, with years of experience providing tailored cover for people who like to live a little closer to the edge.
‘There isn’t a summer weekend that you won’t find the ferries from Jersey and Guernsey chock-a-block with leather-clad motorcyclists of all ages and sizes, from diehard cruisers to gritty track racers, heading to the UK or continental Europe to get their fix of wide-open roads. Combining travel insurance with our market-leading motorcycle cover means they can don helmets and leathers with a peace of mind that leaves their destination the only thing to think about.
Our travel insurance provides automatic cover for most summer and winter sports, whether it’s beach volleyball in Barbados or snowboarding in St Moritz, but you can also buy additional cover should your hobbies be more hazardous.
Here are my five top tips to make sure your active holiday goes as well as possible:
Plan ahead. It might sound obvious but think through all the things that could go wrong, from losing an essential piece of equipment to what kind of help you might need if you have an accident or injury.
Research your destination carefully. Try to find out what the facilities are like and whether you need to consider any additional risks.
Check the long-range weather forecast. While you might know the foreseeable risks, it’s not worth putting yourself in unnecessary danger.
If you are participating in a lone activity, make sure someone you trust has your itinerary and any contact numbers that might be helpful.
Check your equipment. Again, this might sound obvious but from hiking boots to snow chains, you don’t want your excitement and anticipation swept away by something that could easily have been avoided before you left home. And if you are hiring equipment, don’t skimp on the cost. Good quality kit may cost more but it will lessen the chance of an accident and heighten your enjoyment which, after all, is what you are there for.
If you are going to have an active festive season away from home don’t forget to give us a call to see how we might be able to help you or visit www.islands.je.
