Travelling to a foreign destination can be really exciting, and a long-awaited dream for some. So, you plan to choose the best destination, make a financial plan, save for the entire trip and just get started. However, even the best-planned trips can go through a lot of hiccups and challenges. Common causes can be a riot, natural calamity, loss of belongings/documents or even a medical emergency.
With a very bad emotional state of mind, you get home with increased financial loss and stress. What could have been done to minimise your losses? Have you heard about international travel insurance? Here is a detail about what it means and the benefits for your reference.
Benefits of Travel Insurance
International travel insurance secures your travel to a foreign destination by offering a range of benefits. Reading and understanding the features will help you make the best use of the insurance plan for maximum protection. The following are some of the major benefits:
- Medical cover – One of the important issues that can create emotional and financial stress is falling sick in a foreign destination. It is very common due to a change in climate, time zones and living conditions. It might lead you to get hospitalised for the treatment and quick recovery. If the destination is a rich country, the expenses will certainly cost you more. Foreign travel insurance can provide the necessary financial support to pay for the treatment charges and, if required, arrange for evacuating to India in a medical emergency.
- Flight delay or cancellation – Delaying or cancellation of flights is so common during extreme weather conditions or even global health emergencies as seen during the recent pandemic. It might lead you to additional expenses such as booking a night stay, travelling to another place etc. Travel insurance can help you manage these expenses during such scenarios.
- Baggage loss – For any reason, if there is an intentional or unintentional loss of your luggage during your travel, the insurance policy can reimburse the cost of your baggage and reduce the financial stress considerably. In addition, if there is a baggage delay or misdirection by the airlines, the insurance can reimburse the purchase of the items to continue your travel.
- Loss of important documents – If there is a loss of important documents such as the passport, then your travel insurance can compensate for the expenses needed to prepare a duplicate passport. Your insurer will also communicate the same to the necessary authorities for continuing your journey smoothly.
- Trip cancellation – If the trip gets cancelled due to your sickness or the death of an immediate family member, the traveller insurance can pay for the loss up to the prescribed limit. It can also compensate for any loss of travel or accommodation costs paid in advance that is non-refundable.
- COVID-19 cover – The recent pandemic has caused extensive financial distress unprecedentedly. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, which leads to trip cancellations or hospitalisation charges in a foreign destination, international travel insurance can provide the necessary compensation for the losses incurred.
- Extension of policy – The international travel insurance is based on the duration of your trip. However, due to an unexpected difficult scenario, your flight might be delayed for a long time beyond your return date, for example, in a destination where a local riot has caused a political emergency leading to the cancellation of transport, a natural calamity affecting the normal, etc. In such cases, the travel insurance policy term will automatically get extended if you don’t have any other option to travel back.
- Third-party liability – If you were going on a vacation and happened to be involved in an accident that caused an injury to a third person, which incurred an additional unexpected cost to you, the travel insurance can compensate for the same.
- Affordable premium – International travel insurance is available at an affordable premium for ensuring care-free travel. You can pay the premium in Indian rupees and get covered in the desired foreign currency. With the travel insurance premium calculator online, you can derive the right estimate based on the type of travel, duration, destination etc.
- Online facilities – With the advent of technological developments, purchasing travel insurance online is hassle-free. You can read through the different features, understand the terms and conditions, upload the necessary documents, and instantly get the policy. Applying for a claim can also be done online for quick processing and settlement.
These featured benefits can secure your travel if you avail of them promptly. Hence, make it a point to include travel insurance as a part of your trip planning to have a peaceful and relaxing vacation or trip.
Conclusion
Travel insurance offers a range of benefits to help you tackle unexpected events before or during a trip. However, reading and understanding the terms and conditions is important. Online facilities make the process easier. Therefore, you can benefit from maximum financial support based on these featured benefits and your travel plans, such as the type of travel, frequency of travel, duration, prevailing conditions at the destination, etc. Plan smartly, stay insured and travel safe!
