It’s currently high travel season. As Canadian families escape the cold for a warmer destination or Canadians are looking to start the year off with an adventure, airports are busier and flights are full. As you prepare to head out of town for your vacation, the typical tasks are on your to-do list; shop, pack, find a pet-sitter etc. It is important to remember to purchase travel insurance before you embark on your trip. Most people do not see the importance in obtaining travel insurance as they are reluctant to commit to one more expense. What they don’t realize is that it will protect you for any unexpected circumstances on the trip they’ve been longing to go on.

If you are one of these people, read these tips below to learn the many different reasons to purchase travel insurance.

You have no choice and need to cancel your trip: There are many reasons that leave you no choice but to cancel your trip prior to departure. These can include falling extremely ill, a family member or close friend passes away, work commitments, or natural disasters and accidents damaging your home. Travel insurance will provide coverage for these reasons.Within a travel insurance policy, included is Trip Cancellation coverage, which will cover the costs of cancelling your trip and reimburse you for flight and hotel costs.

Circumstances out of your control cause your trip to be cancelled: Unfavourable weather conditions, airplane service issues and overbooked flights can all lead to your flight being cancelled. With somewhere to go and no flight, the first instinct is to panic. Equipped with trip interruption coverage, you’ll be protected and won’t need to worry. Due to these circumstances, a travel insurance policy will cover any new flights or hotels. . Your journey won’t go as planned but you won’t be required to cover the costs associated.

Connecting flights don’t go as planned: Oftentimes, travelers may need to take a layover and stop in between their connecting flights due to delays. These are common in airports as airplanes usually do not take off on the exact planned time of departure. If you miss your connecting flight, this is when  Missed Connection Coverage will be useful to have, as the costs of getting to your final destination will be covered. Not only that, but you’ll have access to the customer service professionals to help you plan how to get there and what the best options are for you.

Your trip destination suffers a natural disaster: As climate change worsens and the occurrences of natural disasters are on the rise, dream travel plans can quickly crumble. This is more common than more travelers think. Travelers should be prepared for these  scenarios by having travel insurance since the weather is completely out of their control. By having travel insurance, travelers will be reimbursed for the trip expenses and receive assistance with booking elsewhere.

While vacationing, you fall ill or suffer an injury: Medical bills can rack up quickly should you need medical attention while away on vacation. No one can anticipate for an accident or to fall sick, but you can prepare for the worst should you need medical assistance. Travel medical coverage will cover the medical costs, evacuation, if needed and provide assistance in what the best options for treatment are in an unfamiliar location.

An act of terrorism derails your trip: Terrorism coverage is an unfortunate reality in present time before travelling. A terrorism attack can put you off from travelling and make it impossible to complete your trip. This coverage will protect you in this worst case scenario.

You lose your passport before take-off: Travel coverage for lost passports and documents could protect you should you lose your passport close to trip departure. There aren’t always options for fast-track passport delivery and when there are, they are usually extremely expensive.

Your airline has lost or temporarily misplaced your luggage: Lost or delayed baggage can wreak havoc on a vacation. With baggage coverage, you can rest easy knowing that you will be reimbursed for purchased necessities until your bag arrives. Should your luggage be lost, you will be reimbursed for necessities, such as clothes and suitcases to travel back home. Your insurance policy will cover and reimburse approved lost property costs.

Your trip is cancelled due to travel companies filing bankruptcy: Just like Wow Air who went bankrupt in 2019, there is a possibility that the travel company you choose can file bankruptcy, leaving travelers  without any accommodations or reimbursements.  Travel insurance can help recover these additional expenses and assist you in re-booking a new flight who are financially stable.

You never know what could delay, interrupt or cancel your trip until it happens and your left frazzled, panicked and confused at what your next move is. With travel insurance, you can take a deep breath knowing you have back up for these types of scenarios. Travel insurance will protect you and will help in the scenarios no one wants to face during vacation. Before you start traveling, speak with an Oracle RMS licensed insurance broker who can provide more information about the travel insurance coverage you’ll need to prepare yourself for your vacation and provide peace of mind!