Most of us don't even consider travel insurance as a necessary expense. Still, it's a good decision to cover your non-refundable travel expenses.
It's a good idea for more expensive trips resulting in unforeseen events. Your health insurance or free credit card insurance will not always completely cover your out of pocket expenses.
Here are the reasons why you should buy travel insurance:
You may not always have access to the best health care. If an emergency medical evacuation is necessary, you will be transported to the nearest suitable hospital for treatment. This includes transportation of a visitor of your choice to stay with you or transporting any traveling children back home, should you become hospitalized.
For injuries and tropical diseases, you can't avoid every insect bite, especially when you're out enjoying the natural beauty of the islands. Engaging in adventure sports like ziplining or off-roading can cause some serious harm.
Your insurance company may offer travel medical expense and emergency-evacuation coverage plans that will help determine the best hospital for your needs and will transport you to the hospital of your choice, or home.
2. Personal belongings
Your luggage may be delayed or lost. You may look at local sights and return to find your backpack or suitcase is missing. The same goes for travel documents and your clothes.
Items lost, stolen, or damaged can be refunded and reimbursed for necessary items you need to buy until your baggage is returned.
3. Vacation investment
You can get reimbursement for prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs when you must cancel for a covered reason which includes include situations like the covered serious illness or injury of the insured person, a travel companion or a family member; the death of the insured traveler, traveling companion or a family member; a natural disaster or other event that renders your destination uninhabitable; etc.
4. Avoiding minor mishaps
Travel hiccups may happen: a canceled flight, a missed connection or a missing bag and your confidence fade.
Travel delay benefits can reimburse you for additional accommodation/travel expenses and lost prepaid expenses.
5. A friend in an unfamiliar territory
A travel insurance can bring language barriers and geographical constraints. With a travel insurance policy, there will be a dedicated team to support you in case of any medical or travel-related emergency.
6. Passport problems
If you forget your passport, insurance companies can help arrange to have the passport express-shipped to you. Important documents and credit cards can be replaced if your documents get lost or stolen.
7. Tropical storms and hurricanes
The insurer will refund the pre-paid, forfeited, non-refundable trip costs, up to the limit of coverage if your trip is canceled for a reason covered in your policy.
Your nonrefundable costs will be reimbursed if the resort where you plan to stay is damaged because of a storm and cannot accommodate you.
Travel insurance will cover the expenses incurred if your trip is delayed, and will cover reasonable, additional accommodations and travel expenses until travel becomes possible.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader