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Reasons why your travel insurance claim might get rejected

Even as the travel sector continues to wade through choppy waters, let us look at some exclusions that might lead to a rejection of your travel insurance claim. The pandemic and its recurring waves have firmly placed the glorious days of freely travelling in the rearview mirror. With restrictions coming on and off, that’s how the situation seems to be like in the near future, at least. The people have been through three unwelcome Covid waves and hence, the only silver lining is that they are now better informed and prepared. With airports bustling once again, the socially-distanced travellers are now armed with masks, sanitisers, gloves and most importantly, travel insurance to protect themselves. While 2020 saw a near-absolute standstill in mobility, the travel sector gradually started picking up pace and even inches back to pre-pandemic levels depending on the caseload. However, the panic of contracting Covid is still a reality and so are cancelled plans. While it’s always better to have travel insurance in place, one must also know what is not covered under the policy. Even as the travel sector continues to wade through choppy waters, let us look at some exclusions that might lead to a rejection of your travel insurance claim. Trip cancellation due to fear of Covid For the past two years, several long-planned trips have borne the brunt of Covid-19. Often, the travellers pre-book flights and hotels well in advance and later, the situation changes due to Covid. So, if you cancel your trip or holiday due to the sheer fear of contracting Covid, chances are it won’t qualify as a valid claim and end up getting rejected. However, if the insured member actually tests positive for Covid, the claim for trip cancellation will be considered valid. Cancellation because of personal inconvenience If you cancel your trip for a personal reason that is not listed under your policy, it will get rejected. It could be due to a change of plans or a personal inconvenience. Unless it’s due to a natural disaster, terrorist attack, emergency hospitalisation or demise of a family member, the insurer will not settle your claim for cancellation. On the other hand, if the flight gets cancelled, that’s a valid reason for the insurance claim. Pre-planned hospitalisation If someone has a pre-existing condition like a heart or kidney ailment and wants to get treated abroad, travel insurance will not pay for the claims in this case. Only if the policyholder gets into an accident or any other health emergency, their hospitalisation shall be eligible for coverage. Also, one needs to properly disclose their medical condition to the insurer at the time of buying the policy. Lack of transparency can lead to claim rejection. Quarantine and RT-PCR test expenses Quarantine and RT-PCR tests have to be the two most common things since the pandemic outbreak. Both of them have practically become an indispensable part of one’s travel itinerary too. However, these also come under the exclusion list from your travel insurance. Quarantine and RT-PCR tests are not covered and the policyholder has to bear these expenses on their own. So, whether in the destination country or after coming back to the native country, quarantine (home or institutional) and RT-PCR tests are usually not covered by the insurance policy. Last-minute changes by tour operators Sometimes, your travel agency or tour operator might make last-minute changes to your trip due to several reasons. This might impact the expenses of your trip but you cannot claim them under travel insurance. Usually, the damages occurring out of changes done by tour operator are not accommodated by your insurer. However, there are some exceptions if it leads to complete cancellation. Know the exact terms of your policy at the time of purchase. Carrying on with the trip despite Covid restrictions In case the government has placed restrictions or guidelines with respect to Covid and after that, if you still decide to go ahead with the trip, then your claims might not be entertained. Similarly, if the borders of your destination are closed for visitors after you reach, travel insurance won’t be able to protect you. It’s essential to plan the trip keeping these pandemic regulations of both destinations in mind. However, if the Covid restrictions come into effect just before your trip starts, your cancellation claim will be honoured. While there might be exclusions, it’s still advisable to opt for travel insurance especially as travel continues to be riddled with uncertainties. If you face an emergency in a foreign land, travel insurance is your shield. You can customise your policy as per your trip duration, demographics of the travellers and other needs to make it more comprehensive. It’s important to read through the fine print of your policy and ask for assistance from the aggregator or insurer to understand this better.

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Greece kicks off tourist season early to meet 'great demand'

Greece's tourism minister on Thursday said the visitor season would officially start in March, earlier than previous years, and there were "positive signs" of a bumper summer ahead. After COVID-19 brought global travel to a standstill in 2020, Greek tourism suffered its worst year on record with just 7 million visitors bringing in revenues of 4 billion euros ($4.55 billion). The industry, which accounts for a fifth of the economy and one in five jobs, began to recover last year when a season that officially began in May delivered about 10.5 billion euros in revenues, far less than an all-time record in 2019. "There is great demand and great dynamic for Greek tourism in 2022," Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said. "Big tour operators, big airline companies, want to prolong the period (from March through December)." "There are strong signs for Greek tourism," he told Reuters in an interview. An earlier start means hotels that close over the winter months can reopen earlier and tour operators begin bringing in parties. IOBE, an influential think tank, projected in its quarterly economic review last month that tourism will help Greece's economy grow by 4.5% to 5.0% this year. It sees tourism revenues reaching 80%-90% of the record of 2019, when 33 million visitors brought in 18 billion euros. Kikilias, who was health minister at the height of the pandemic, declined to give a forecast for this year, saying only that it would be better than 2021. Greece had inched above its targeted revenues for 2021, which he cited as "a positive sign to be optimistic". Already Greece has eased travel restrictions imposed to combat the spread of COVID-19 and fully vaccinated visitors do not need a negative test to enter the country. "Greece is open to everybody, from today. But the actual season, the summer season, is starting for us on March 1 this year," Kikilias said. Greece, like most of Europe, saw a surge in infections in January driven by the Omicron variant, but the numbers have been falling and Kikilias said there was demand for travel. "After this huge crisis of global public health, people tend to want to travel, enjoy their vacations, spend money, and I think Greece is in pole position," Kikilias said. "Yes, the pandemic is still here but we have weapons to fight it - vaccination, new drugs." ($1 = 0.8793 euros)

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Khajuraho Dance Festival to begin in February 20

The 48th Khajuraho Dance Festival is ready to commence from Feb 20, 2022, at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. Mangubhai C. Patel, Governor of Madhya Pradesh will be inaugurating the festival, alongside other dignitaries, Tourism, Culture and Spirituality Minister Usha Thakur; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Om Prakash Sakhlecha; and MP Vishnu Dutt Sharma. The festival will be held from February 20 until February 26. The festival is one of the most celebrated ones in the country, which showcases various dance forms of the country. Renowned dance artists from India and abroad will be gathering here to perform. The festival will also be presenting artists with the National Kalidas Award for dance, and the Madhya Pradesh State Rupankar Kala Reward at this ceremony. Khajuraho is a historic beauty, with a lot to offer for visitors. It is a town of temples, with some of the most intrinsic artworks. These prominent artworks are erotic in nature, and are spellbinding, and bewildering at the same time. Khajuraho is also a destination set in myths and legends, and with so much history, it serves as the perfect backdrop for a dance festival. This year, the festival will host some major events too, that revolve around the cultural landscape of Indian dance-styles. Visitors will also be treated to an exhibition of art-travel focussed on Kathak-Nepathya, art exhibitions of other countries, conversations with artists and art scholars, among other things. It is a one-stop destination for artists, and art lovers.

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France travel update: COVID test rules to be dropped for vaccinated travellers

COVID test reports will no longer be required for vaccinated travellers visiting France in the coming days. France has announced that it will be dropping the mandatory requirement of a negative COVID test for vaccinated travellers travelling from outside the European Union. This move comes as the country continues to register a drop in daily infection numbers, as stated by Europe Minister Clement Beaune. While talking to the media, he added that they restored testing requirements in December due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant. However, they will soon announce that tests will no longer be required for vaccinated people in the coming days. As of now, anyone coming from outside the EU, including Britain, is required to provide a negative test result that has been taken 48 hours prior to their travel, regardless of vaccination status. The Minister stated that this week, there will probably be a new European protocol for vaccinated people arriving from outside the EU, with eased measures. EU members on January 25 agreed to better coordinate their travel rules, especially for those crossing borders within the bloc. While the surge in Omicron variant has prompted Italy and Denmark, for example, to impose recent negative test requirements for entry by fellow EU residents as well as vaccination proof, such strict rules have reportedly irritated officials in Brussels. As per the reports, France started lifting a series of COVID restrictions this month, and announced that nightclubs will reopen from February 16, while concerts and sporting events will also be allowed to take place.

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West Bengal allows international flights after easing travel restrictions

After a dip in COVID cases, the West Bengal government has decided to withdraw its ban on incoming international flights. Withdrawing from the ban on Tuesday, the government has decided to let international travellers in with either a proof of being fully vaccinated or a negative RT PCR test. Such a test should be in the 72 hours window before flight departure. According to a letter submitted to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry by the state government, "The restrictions on incoming flights to West Bengal have been reviewed and in view of the improved Covid situation, it has been decided that there shall be no restrictions on incoming domestic flights from any location in the country but subject to the condition that the passengers are either fully vaccinated or RT-PCR Test conducted within 72 hours from the time of flight departure." India had suspended scheduled international flights from March 23, 2020. The country then went on to impose a nation-wide lockdown two-days later. However, bubble arrangements for flights were made three months later with certain countries. The latest ban on international arrivals came after the spread of the Omicron virus. As of now, things are looking much better in the country. In the state capital of Kolkata, about 28000 to 340000 passengers are flying in and out of the city, with about 260 flights on a daily basis. These flights contain 70 to 80 percent of their total load. The number was higher before the Omicron restrictions, with 50000 passengers flying in and out daily, back in December, 2021.

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Indonesia changes quarantine norms for certain travellers

Travelling to Indonesia is all set to get easier. As per the latest developments, international travellers who have already received their COVID-19 booster shots, will now be permitted to visit this country with a three-day quarantine period. This was recently informed by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. While addressing a virtual press conference, Pandjaitan added that starting from next week, the quarantine period for incoming travellers, both Indonesian citizens and foreigners, who have already received COVID booster shots, will now be reduced to just three days. Reports further added that those incoming travellers who have been vaccinated with two shots, will however, have to undergo quarantine for five days. Plus, the visitors will be required to carry out entry and exit polymerase chain reaction swab tests, and will be allowed to leave the quarantine centre if their test result comes negative. As of now, the Southeast Asian country is grappling with the third wave of COVID-19 that has been triggered by the new and more contagious variant of COVID, Omicron. To tackle the crisis situation, the authorities have also limited the capacity of working from the office to a maximum of 50 per cent for, and allowing the rest work from their homes.

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