Leading travel insurer Columbus Direct believes that the growing trend in authentic and specialist experience holidays over the coming year could leave travellers exposed to gaps in their insurance cover.
With consumers looking to get more from their holidays than sun, sea and sand, and with more choice of holiday experience, as opposed to signing up to a package holiday, demand for more rewarding and specialist travel experiences is on the rise.
ABTA believes that the next 12 months will see an increased demand for visiting remote destinations, taking part in action-packed activities, conservation holidays and volunteering. In response to this, many travel companies are looking further afield to create tailored and personalised experiences for their customers.
This trend is supported by an increased concern among travellers that their holiday needs to benefit the local community and economy at their chosen destination and have a minimal impact on the environment.
Greg Lawson, Head of Retail at Columbus Direct, said: “The nature of this holiday and what customers want means these destinations are not well-trodden, often include unusual or high-risk activities, have limited access to quality, local medical facilities and often need specialist or long-distance extraction or repatriation in case of a medical emergency.
“For example, if you suffer a heart attack in the Galapagos Islands, there are no cardiac care facilities and you will be evacuated by helicopter to the Ecuadorian mainland or to the US mainland. If climbing Kilimanjaro, you will be climbing to an altitude above 5,000 metres and many travel insurance policies will not cover travel at this height without special agreement.
“For this reason, we recommend that customers check their travel insurance can deliver the cover needed for this holiday experience, as many off-the-shelf policies have restrictions on a specific destination, activity, altitude or other factor. Travellers must be aware of the types of activities they want to do on holiday and select add-ons to their insurance policy before they travel. ”
