It’s official. The summer holidays are here, and many of us are planning a break at home this year, and World First Travel Insurance is asking British holiday makers to take out protection. It is common practice for all holiday operators to charge for cancelled or abandoned holidays, indeed it is part of the legally binding contract we enter into when we book the holiday whether at home or abroad. With some operators charging 100%, and some insurance policies offering no cover at all on domestic breaks, World First is telling us we need to cover up – even during a British summer…
It’s official. The summer holidays are here, and many of us are planning a break at home this year, and World First Travel Insurance is asking British holiday makers to take out protection. It is common practice for all holiday operators to charge for cancelled or abandoned holidays, indeed it is part of the legally binding contract we enter into when we book the holiday whether at home or abroad. With some operators charging 100%, and some insurance policies offering no cover at all on domestic breaks, World First is telling us we need to cover up – even during a British summer.
Predictions are pointing to a boom summer for the domestic tourism scene, with estimates showing 5 million of us taking a summer “staycation”, and already organisations like Haven Holidays and The Caravan Club are seeing bookings up 50% and 25% respectively. Whilst the economy may be biting, it has not yet stopped us from taking our well earned break.
But, what happens if the unexpected does happen, and our holiday is cancelled or cut short due to events outside our control? Most domestic holiday operators – from hotels to camp sites – will charge cancellation fees, which is why World First Travel Insurance is recommending all domestic holiday makers consider a cancellation policy which covers the UK specifically. Managing Partner, Martin Rothwell, explains: “A lot of annual travel insurance policies either do not cover UK trips, so people who rely on the fact that they buy an annual policy every year or get one free from their bank might want to check the fine print this year. In addition, most annual policies have an excess of £50 (some are higher) which is chargeable per person. This means that you will only get £100 back after the excess has been applied if you book a short break for a family of four which cost £300.”
“We would recommend that holiday makers look to specialist travel insurance companies which provide policies designed especially to protect UK holidays against cancellation or curtailment. The one we offer for example – ‘Guest First’ (www.guestfirst.co.uk) – offers no excess so you can claim for the full amount. To insure a £300 holiday costs just £19.00 and that covers everybody in the party regardless of age.
“If you are holidaying in the UK because you cannot get travel insurance to go abroad due to pre-existing medical conditions and ill-health there are other specialist policies we offer, such as ‘Hotelsure’ which, regardless of age covers cancellation even if you are taking medication or are under the doctor when you book your holiday.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
