Why Travel Insurance is Important for Solo Travellers

by Marsha Mowers
Last updated: 7:50 PM ET, Wed October 10, 2018

According to data collected by Allianz Global Assistance Canada, a leader in travel insurance and assistance services, 70 per cent of all travel insurance policies distributed in 2017 were for Canadians travelling solo and the majority were for leisure travel versus business trips."What's intriguing about that number is it indicates that Canadians who travel alone are cognizant of potential risks associated with solo travel and are taking a proactive step to protect themselves by getting travel insurance," says Dan Keon, Vice President, Market Management, Allianz Global Assistance Canada. "Safety and taking precautions is obviously important for all travellers, but especially when you're travelling alone. Having travel insurance gives you that added level of support that you wouldn't necessarily have otherwise."The number of travel policies purchased by solo travellers has remained steady for the last couple of years and is up seven per cent from 2015. Keon observes that the travel industry as a whole is responding by making it easier for people to travel solo."More resorts, tour operators and cruise lines have been reducing or eliminating the single supplement, which greatly increased the cost for single travellers in the past. Guided tours are also highly available, allowing people to travel solo, but not 'alone.'""It's definitely something we are keeping an eye on in terms of industry travel trends of Canadians travelling on their own," says Keon, who notes other safety steps solo travellers can take before they go. "Solo travellers should consider leaving a full, detailed itinerary with a family member at home so they always know where you are at each stage of the trip. Look at government travel and safety advisories for their destination. When you're there, stay in touch with people back home by phone or the internet each step of the way so they know you're safe."And he mentions reading your policy to make sure it has a 'relative to bedside' benefit as part of your travel medical insurance plan. "That way, if you experience an unexpected medical emergency while you're away and need to be hospitalized as an inpatient, your policy includes the benefit of covering the costs of flying a friend or family member over to be with you for support."Loading Allianz Global Assistance Canada's TripWise app also provides peace of mind with its GPS locator that helps find the closest Allianz-reviewed local healthcare provider with the phone number, address and website. The database includes 2,000 hospitals in 129 countries. It also allows users to find international names for common prescription medications and store a photo of their prescription label for easy reference while travelling, as well as providing updates on the status of flights.Allianz Global Assistance Canada receives 2-million calls each year from Canadian travellers seeking assistance, thanks to their travel insurance and protection policies.