Travel insurance sales spike as Zika fears grow
Tuesday, 03 Feb, 2016
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Sales of travel insurance have surged in the last month for trips to Latin America, fueled by fears over the Zika virus.
Maryland based RoamRight said revenue was up 81% in January for its ‘Cancel for any Reason’ policy for travel to affected areas in the Americas.
"We see that kind of growth when there is a terrorist attack or some other event that precipitates people thinking about protecting their travel costs," said Linda Fallon, head of RoamRight.
While airlines and cruise lines are waiving change fees and offering refunds, Fallon says travelers are protecting themselves rather than cancelling altogether.
"People are just looking to take precautions. This gives people the peace of mind."
Rival insurer Tin Leg said it had not seen a noticeable upsurge in Zika related travel insurance sales but the virus was ‘a major topic of questions we receive from our customers.’
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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