José Sena Goulão / Lusa
Travel insurance was created to cover unforeseen events. Meteorology is on the list, but if there is no warning of the government…
Portugal, Spain, France or Greece. The end of June and early July are being marked by heat Very strong, stronger than usual at this stage of summer.
There are temperature records to be beaten all over Europe, especially in the south of the continent.
Many travelers will have already weighted Cancel the holidays Summer, especially if destination is exactly one of the warmer countries.
He spoke to climate and insurance experts to find out what can happen to those who decide to cancel their holidays.
There is the travel insuranceYes. Which was created to cover unforeseen events – and extreme weather conditions is one of the paragraphs that is in many contracts.
But then the “ses” arise, the conditions: “In the case of cancellation of a trip due to an extreme vacancy, When there is no government warning, travel insurance may not cover the cancellation of the trip“Warns Jonathan Frankham, Director General of Travel Insurance Company World Nomads Europe.
As usual, each contract is a contract. The policies vary according to the customer and the insurer. Some may offer climate -related circumstance supplements.
If there is medical advice on the heat, it may be entitled to a indemnity – These requests are evaluated on a case by case basis.
There must also be indemnity If the trip is cancelednot for yourself, but for airline or by travel agency; Again because of something related to the weather. If there is no compensation, there is replacement or reimbursement trip.
When the safe Does not cover cancellations, it can be useful in the same on very hot trips: medical aid If there is any case of exhaustion, insolation, or even heart attack and stroke, among other possible consequences caused by high temperature.
“If the health of a traveler is negatively affected by a vacancy and the one cannot continue with the planned itinerary, traveling insurance with travel interruption can help reimburse the costs of unused travel preparations and additional expenses incurred due to interruption,” explains Frankham.
But in general, Forget compensation if the initiative to cancel the holidays is yours. Only if we repeat, there is a government notice about travel or if there is a medical document.
If you prefer to travel, even with so much heat, it is advisable to be informed about local weather conditions and follow the safety guidelines issued by the authorities. It may have to bring extra drinking water or avoid outdoor activities in the middle of the day.
Or go to a Nordic country this summer.
However, the heat must change the policies In the short -term future, Jonathan Frankham predicts: “Insurance companies are aware of the frequency of extreme weather phenomena and, if the number increases, the sector will have to react similar to pandemic.”
