An increasing number of tour operators have reported a dramatic surge in holiday bookings following the Prime Minister’s recent unveil of steps the UK must take to emerge from the lockdown.
Despite the PM making it clear that international travel will not resume any earlier than May 17, the majority of holidays booked seem to start in July and then continue through the summer months.
While this is promising news for the travel industry, it is still important that travellers protect their trip as soon as they book their holiday as there are many things that could happen to prevent any upcoming holidays going ahead.
And while, at the time of writing, no travel insurance provider is offering cancellation should a change in government advice impact your holiday, there are other sorts of cover available that will help to protect your trip should Covid-19 affect it.
The type of cover we would recommend looking out for is:
- Cancellation cover if you or a member of your travelling party catch Covid-19 before your trip and have to isolate. Despite the vaccine being a huge success, it does not 100% prevent you from catching the virus in a milder form, so it is important to have this cover should you test positive and need to quarantine.
- Cover for medical and repatriation expenses should you catch Covid-19 while abroad. Most travel insurance policies will cover you if catch Covid-19 while abroad and require emergency medical attention. However, it’s worth being aware that many insurers will not cover any costs if you travel against the government’s advice.
- Cover for additional expenses should you test positive while abroad and be required to isolate abroad. The UK government requires all arrivals to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken up to 72 hours before departure. Therefore, if you test positive for Covid-19 on your return from your trip you will be required to stay at your holiday destination and isolate. Some providers are offering cover for this type of situation and will cover expenses, such as additional accommodation or transport costs, should you need to stay longer. This cover may also be called ‘cover for denied boarding’ in some travel insurance policies.
Of course, booking with a tour operator who has flexible cancellation terms and conditions is also something to consider when looking for your next holiday. For more information on what flexible T&C’s may look like, click here. And for more information on all-things Covid-related click here.
As always, if there’s anything we haven’t covered or if you have any further questions please do just drop us a line at hello@travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk and we’ll try our very best to help!
