Reasons why you need travel insurance

If you are wondering whether travel insurance is worth it, weigh the small cost of buying insurance against the massive cost of unforeseen medical expenses or cancellation of flights while on holiday or on a business trip.

Affordability is probably the number one reason people do not want or consider buying travel insurance. We recognise and realise that you would have paid thousands towards your long-awaited holiday or business trip, but it is important to spend a little more on mitigating the risks that come with international travel.

Insurance can be affordable. When you get a quote for travel insurance from the convenience of your home or office, you are presented with three packages to choose from, allowing you to pick the best one for your trip and your budget. We offer you:

• A personal package that is ideal for families, holidaymakers, adventure seekers and travellers who are visiting family and friends. The package has the option of three cover types: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each cover type has a competitive schedule of benefits and excesses, which customers can compare to select the most suitable cover type.

• A business package that is tailored to meet the needs of corporate travellers. Business travellers and corporate organisations can enjoy the comfort and convenience of us taking care of any unforeseen travel costs. All they need to worry about is doing business.

• A senior package that is exclusively for senior citizens (senior package from 71 up to the age of 81). This package is designed to give you peace of mind and remove any "what if" questions that keep you up at night during your travels.

All these packages offer travel medical expenses, trip cancellation costs, lost luggage, flight accidents, and other losses incurred while travelling internationally for business or personal reasons. These offers are subject to the terms and conditions of the individual packages. You should also bear in mind that, if you are not completely satisfied, you can still make changes to suit your budget.

Here are three reasons why you cannot afford not to have travel insurance:

1. You cannot afford to lose your holiday investment.

If you, for example, pay N$10 000 for a vacation to Bali with your family or friends: on the departure day, your mother suffers a serious fall and ends up in the hospital. When you call the travel agency and explain what happened, they are sympathetic. However, you will not be getting your money back as company policy clearly states that there are no refunds if you cancel within 10 days of departure.

Situations like these are why travel insurance is a must. When you have travel insurance with Old Mutual, you can get reimbursement for prepaid, non-refundable trip costs when you must cancel for a covered reason. Covered reasons can 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 traveller, travelling companion, or a family member; a natural disaster or other event that renders your destination uninhabitable; etc.

2. Medical emergencies overseas can be expensive.

• Consider this scenario: On a driving tour through Bali, a truck slams into your rental car, leaving you with serious injuries. When you arrive at the hospital, you pull out your medical aid card and the staff just shake their heads. You will need to pay up front for treatment - and your medical bills will rapidly climb into the tens of thousands of dollars.

• When you have travel insurance with emergency medical benefits, it can pay for losses due to covered medical emergencies that occur during your trip. Emergency medical transportation benefits can pay for medically necessary transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility as well as the cost of getting you home following a covered injury or illness.

3. You do not want minor misfortunes to ruin your trip.

A holiday is an investment in your happiness and time for much needed rest and relaxation. When that holiday starts off with a cancelled flight, a missing bag, or another travel hiccup, all the happiness fades away. Travel insurance can help make these situations better.

Other value-adding benefits that come with travel insurance include the following:

• Baggage and travel delay

• Medical assistance

• Personal liability claims

• Cancellation or postponement of your trip

Personal accident claims

• Hospitalisation or quarantine for Covid-19

Let us do the worrying and you enjoy your trip because we have it covered.