HOW to CHOOSE
FOR YOUR CLIENT
HERE ’ S HOW TRAVEL ADVISORS CAN HELP GET THEIR CLIENTS THE INSURANCE THEY NEED FOR THEIR NEXT BIG TRIP .
WORDS / LESLIE LANG
Pam MacIntyre , a travel advisor with Travel Leaders Market Square in Maple Grove , Minnesota , learned the importance of travel insurance early in her career , when her sister was in a serious car crash during a vacation in Costa Rica .
“ She was thrown through the windshield and had 16 broken ribs and 40 stitches in her head ,” MacIntyre said . Her sister ’ s boyfriend had a compound fracture of his leg . “ They had to be airlifted to a hospital , and they both came home in wheelchairs .”
Her sister , who had not purchased travel insurance , also came home with nearly $ 20,000 in medical bills .
MacIntyre says it affected how she presents travel insurance to her clients . “ In the end , we never judge who chooses what . But I want to make sure that people understand what they ’ re saying yes or no to so they can make a personal decision about what ’ s right for them .”
Travel insurance , an optional purchase , protects against financial loss and certain other risks that can happen during travel . While policies differ , they can cover cancellations , medical costs and evacuations , losses or delays and provide 24 / 7 assistance while traveling .
A 2023 Business Insider survey found that only 38 % of travelers purchased insurance . More than half purchased a policy through a travel provider ( e . g ., a booking engine , airline , cruise provider , tour group or similar ), and another 17 % bought through a travel advisor . The remaining 13 % bought their travel insurance through an insurance marketplace .
Overall , MacIntyre recommends clients especially consider insurance when planning international travel . “ Most people are spending a lot of money , and they ’ ve been saving for a really long time . You want to be able to not only protect your investment — you want to protect yourself .”
30 / THE COMPASS / SUMMER 2024 vaxvacationaccess . com / thecompass