Those with holiday plans this summer are being urged to check the limits of their insurance cover, as insurers say strikes and protests have “played havoc” with travel plans in recent months and may not be covered.
Irish travel insurance provider Peopl Insurance warned that as a wave of industrial action and civil unrest spreads across Europe and further afield, holidaymakers should check that they are covered for any possible disruptions to their plans.
Cost of living concerns are at the heart of many of the strikes that have already taken place – including air traffic control, airport baggage handling, airport security, and train and rail strikes, Peopl Insurance chief executive Paul Walsh said in a statement.
“As it could be some time before inflation significantly eases, such industrial action is likely to continue for some time – and certainly throughout the peak holiday months,” he said.
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Mr Walsh said that only some travel insurance policies will cover you if you have to abandon a holiday, miss a flight, or delay a trip as a result of an unexpected work stoppage or strike at an airport or ferry port.
“Other travel insurers don’t cover strikes and with some policies, the cover is more restricted than others. So, it is very important to check the small print of a travel insurance policy before you buy,” he said.
The insurer advised holidaymakers to check their cover for unrest, such as those seen in France over pension reforms and cost of living demonstrations across Europe, as well as extreme weather events.
Irish tourists had to be evacuated from areas ravaged by wildfires last summer in parts of Italy, France and Portugal, and as wildfires have already broken out in parts of Spain this year, Mr Walsh urged travellers to “check the small print on your policy”.
In addition to checking the fine print of insurance terms, Peopl Insurance has also advised holidaymakers to take out insurance at the time of booking a holiday, and to buy an excess waiver.
When it comes to making a claim, holidaymakers should notify their insurer as soon as possible after the event, and be sure to follow the correct procedure – for example if possessions are stolen, then people should report it to the local police, or if a traveller has to cancel a trip due to ill health, they may have to file a medical report.
