13 Reasons Why You Should Buy Travel Insurance?

Whether you’re travelling for business, leisure, or studies, travel insurance is not a luxury, but it’s a necessity.

Let’s explore 

• Why Travel Insurance Is a Must-Have for Every Traveler?
• How to Choose the Best Travel Insurance Plan?

Why Travel Insurance Is a Must-Have for Every Traveler?

Travel insurance can protect you against financial losses due to flight cancellations, luggage loss, medical emergencies during the trip, etc. Travel insurance becomes all the more essential when travelers set foot in a foreign destination. Not only can these expenses burn a hole in the pocket, but feeling lost in a foreign land is a very scary thought. So, check the 13 reasons why you should buy a travel insurance policy.

1. Medical Emergencies Abroad

When you buy travel insurance for your international trip, it can protect you from hospitalization charges, as well as the costs of doctor consultations and diagnostics. If there is any need for an emergency evacuation, it saves you from hefty out-of-pocket costs.

2. Last Minute Trip Interruptions/Delays/Cancellations

No matter how well-prepared you are, a sudden illness, a family emergency, or any unforeseen events like natural disasters are not in your hands. Such incidents bring about a last-minute change in the plan, where your trip gets interrupted, either delaying it or leading to its cancellation. A travel insurance policy can reimburse your non-refundable expenses.

3. Lost or Delayed Baggage

Baggage loss by flights is not a new thing, especially when you have connecting flights. Your baggage may be late in arrival or may get misplaced. With travel insurance, you can get compensated for essential items in your delayed or lost baggage. Therefore, you can buy clothes or other essentials immediately abroad.

4. Missing Document or Passport

Losing your passport abroad can ruin your trip. Travel insurance helps by covering the cost of obtaining a new passport, offering emergency assistance through local consulates.

5. Medical Evacuation Due To Emergencies

If you require urgent medical evacuation or airlift due to an accident or serious illness, travel insurance bears those massive evacuation or repatriation costs, which can run into lakhs of rupees.

6. Coverage Against Accidental Death & Disability

In case of disability, temporary or permanent, you will get compensation, and your insurer will arrange for your homecoming. In case of death, your family receives it, so that they’re supported during a tough time, and the mortal remains are also repatriated back to the home country.

7. When You Miss The Connecting Flights

Airlines keep rescheduling the flights, and therefore, flight delays are common. But it can disrupt the whole plan, especially when you miss your connecting flight.. Accommodation or transport expenses can be huge, but travel insurance reimburses them and safeguards against those added expenses.

8. Personal Liability Protection

The last thing you want while traveling abroad is legal or money trouble. But if you accidentally damage someone’s property or hurt someone, travel insurance has your back! It helps cover legal and compensation costs, keeping you safe and stress-free in another country.

9. Adventure Activities Under Travel Insurance

The adventure seekers love to go on thrilling expeditions, such as skiing, scuba diving, paragliding, etc.. That’s why many digital insurers now offer add-on covers for adventure sports injuries, ensuring thrill-seekers are financially protected.

10. Trip Curtailment (Early Return)

Sometimes, some unplanned events, misfortunes or emergencies back home lead to plan cancellation. You are forced to cut your trip short and bear the unused trip costs. However, travel insurance covers them and return travel expenses if your journey is unexpectedly shortened.

11. Theft or Loss of Personal Belongings

What if your wallet or phone is stolen? Whether your bag goes missing or any such important item is lost, travel insurance covers you. It provides compensation for lost valuables, such as cash or gadgets (subject to policy limits).

12. Coverage for COVID-19 or Other Epidemics

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries demanded travellers' vaccination reports or followed quarantine measures. Since then, most of the modern travel insurance plans cover COVID-19-related hospitalisation, quarantine, and trip cancellations. Thus, there's an added layer of coverage in the post-pandemic travel insurance policies.

13. Mandatory for Visa/Entry

Suppose you plan to visit a Schengen country, having travel insurance with medical coverage of €30,000 is a must for getting a Schengen Visa. Similarly, many nations have mandatory travel insurance or medical insurance, where you need to submit your policy documents along with other papers for Visa approval. 

How to Choose the Best Travel Insurance Plan?

Now that there are multiple travel insurance policies from several insurers, you can pick the one that suits your travel plans. Here’s how to find the perfect plan -

• You can compare policies online or use aggregator sites to see their premiums and benefits side by side.
• You must read the exclusions carefully to know what isn’t covered (like pre-existing diseases or high-risk activities).
• Check the claim process.
• Prefer to choose insurers with 24/7 global assistance and a strong claim support record.

Conclusion

Traveling always comes with new experiences, but it also brings along unexpected risks. From medical emergencies and lost baggage to flight delays or accidents abroad, anything can happen, unfortunately. That’s why travel insurance is not just an option, it’s a must-have for every traveler. Looking for the best travel insurance plans?

Connect with a PBPartners Travel Insurance PoSP Agent today! 

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