Majority of holidaymakers ‘will travel without insurance’ due to Covid-19
Three-quarters of holidaymakers won’t buy travel insurance unless it includes cover for Covid-19-related cancellations and disruption, according to a recent survey.
Tommy Lloyd, MD of travel insurance comparison site Medical Travel Compared (MTC) said this could mean that many people will run the risk of travelling uninsured once the restrictions on overseas holidays are lifted.
Of the 40-plus travel insurance providers MTC usually works with, only nine are currently listed on its site as the others have all withdrawn their travel policies or have withdrawn medical cover for Covid-19. However, even those that include medical cover for Covid-19, aren’t providing cover for Covid-19 travel disruption, including cancellations, he said.
MTC’s survey of more than 3,000 people found that 10% have lost all or some of the cost of a holiday due to Covid-19 and four in five expect travel insurers to cover cancellation of a holiday for any reason due to the virus and three-quarters said they wouldn’t buy insurance if such cover wasn’t included.
"We were not surprised that 75 per cent of Brits claim they won’t take out travel insurance if COVID-19 cancellations are not covered and that a third will be looking for specific COVID-19 cover in the future," said Lloyd.
"We have all come to the realisation that coronavirus is a virus that we have to live and work alongside now and into the future, which is why we are working with our providers to find solutions and provide policies or add on services that offer travellers the protection that they are seeking – otherwise there’s a real concern that a lot of people may travel without any insurance."
Lloyd said that since Covid-19 is now a known risk, no travel insurer will provide cover for cancellation or disruption caused by the virus, but he said it was crucial that travellers had medical cover for Covid-19.
Lloyd said a third of the population has a pre-existing medical condition and need insurance for extra peace of mind. "It is something we are keen to help our panel of insurance providers deliver once FCO advice changes about international travel – it is also important to note that it is relevant for UK travel as well. We ask that all providers come together to find solutions to provide travellers with the cover that they are entitled to."
Meanwhile, Staysure has become the latest travel insurer to cover Covid-19 related medical issues in its policies. The cover, which comes at no extra cost, will be added to new and existing policies and will cover emergency medical bills and well as repatriation costs for any trips to countries deemed by the British Government to be safe to visit.
Staysure group CEO and founder Ryan Howsam said: "We need to look at all our options at this time of coronavirus and keep moving ahead. The Coronavirus will be with us for some time and so we needed to put this into place as soon as possible."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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