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Whether it is cross-country road trips, camping up north, or international travel, many Canadians are planning their getaways now that spring has largely sprung.
But if someone is in good health or travelling within the country, they’re much less likely to buy travel insurance.
Dan Keon, the director of marketing and communications for Allianz, said brokers could ask their existing clients if they’re planning on getting out of town and bring up the non-health benefits of travel insurance.
“Even if the customer feels like they’re in good health and may not need that, the great thing about trip cancellation is that will often provide protection, say, if an immediate family member gets sick before you leave - it gives you the option to cancel your trip so you can stay home and take care of them,” Keon said.
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“We also cover things like, say you get called for jury duty. Whether you’re travelling inside or outside of Canada, there will be a number of trip expenses you’ll want to protect.”
However, health coverage remains the main benefit of travel insurance, meaning the pitch to healthy clients needs to take a different approach.
“There’s often a misconception that ‘I’m in good health, so I don’t need travel insurance’. Of course you can have a medical emergency even if you’re in great health,” Keon pointed out. “Things like appendicitis or a slip and fall where you have a severe injury to your foot or your leg.
“Also, a lot of people plan on travelling via car - and motor vehicle accidents happen all the time, even at home. While you never want people to be frightened about travelling, you just want to make sure they have coverage in place.”
Brokers’ pitch for travel insurance is no different than that with other coverage, Keon believes - its peace of mind just in case and it’s useful even if you’re not in a high-risk situation.
“Accidents happen. They happen anytime, anywhere,” he noted. “It’s best to make sure your customers are protected against those ‘what if’ scenarios. It’s just about dispelling the misconception that travel insurance isn’t needed in Canada.”
