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ESSENTIAL READING FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS WWW.ITIJ.CO.UK AUGUST 2012 • ISSUE 139 Cost concerns Recent research has found that despite the number of people who fall ill while on holiday, the percentage of Canadians taking out travel insurance is smaller than it should be. Mandy Aitchison reports BMO Insurance, the insurance subsidiary of the Bank of Montreal fi nancial services group, recently released the results of its Summer Travel Insurance Study, which found that only 41 per cent of Canadians who travel regularly purchase travel insurance, despite the fact that one in 10 reported that either they or a companion has required medical attention while travelling at some point in their lives. The results of the survey show that, in the 12 months preceding the survey, over two thirds (67 per cent) of Canadians travelled within their own country or to the US, and that over four in 10 (43 per cent) travelled overseas. Nevertheless, a high proportion of Canadians still don’t seem to see insurance as a priority. “It’s critical that Canadians ensure they have the proper medical coverage before travelling,” says Julie Barker-Merz, BMO Insurance vice-president and chief operating offi cer. “While Canadians can sometimes be covered under the terms of their credit card or workplace healthcare plan, they need to be certain that the correct insurance is in place given the high cost of medical services that can be incurred while away from home.” Only half of those surveyed seemed to be aware that tourists travelling outside of their own country are responsible for the vast majority of any medical expenses incurred, while two in 10 (21 per cent) believed that either their provincial government Claims data highlights Asian risks or the federal government would foot the bill, and 11 per cent believed that their workplace healthcare plan Over 50 per cent of claims settled by Australian A key area of concern is the hiring of motorbikes, His family has had to launch a support group to raise would cover them if they fell ill ‘on the road’. travel insurance fi rm SureSave originate from trips with many tourists failing to note that their insurance funds to pay the medical bills. “If we had known to Asia, the company has said, while only a quarter policy may not cover them if they do not possess a that he wasn’t covered for a motorbike [accident], of policies sold cite Asia as the primary travel motorbike licence in their own country. This area then he wouldn’t have hired one,” said his girlfriend, destination. Stefan Mohamed has more details has also been highlighted recently by the case of Amy. “He wouldn’t have been riding around on his Sean Kenzie, a New Zealander who was involved in fi rst day.” She and Kenzie’s mother are said to be The highest frequency of claims originate in Thailand, a motorcycle accident on the Thai island of Phuket. ‘stunned’ that his policy – advertised as ‘full coverage’ Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia, and SureSave’s Kenzie suffered a split liver, two punctured lungs and – did not include coverage for a motorbike accident. executive director Michael McAuliffe suggests that broken ribs, and has undergone surgery to reattach “It seems so strange when it is the mode of transport travellers often forget the heightened dangers neck and jaw muscles, but his insurance company, for the country,” his mother said. present in overseas countries, and thus indulge in Cover-More, has declined to pay out because he The Insurance Council of New Zealand is urging all New more risk-taking behaviour. “Unfortunately,” he says, was not covered for medical expenses arising from Zealanders who may be travelling abroad to read the “our claims experience reveals that common sense a motorcycle accident, and has subsequently been wording of their policies, so they understand exactly what can, at times, be compromised whilst travelling.” saddled with a NZ$16,000 bill, which is still rising. is and is not covered, so as to avoid similar cases in future. EDITOR SIGN. 1 EDITOR SIGN. 2 SALES SIGN. 1 SALES SIGN. 2 CONFR. SIGN. PAGE NO. 1 PAGE UPDATE 2 NEWS IN THIS ISSUE REGULARS News continued 4 Editorial rant 4 Company brief 10 ITIJ CONTRIBUTORS Insurance matters 11 Health matters 14 Robert Bailey is a business journalist IPMI news 16 and writer on the Middle East and Africa Travel matters 18 with more than 25 yearsʼ reporting experience of both regions. He has carried Air ambulance news 21 out many in-depth assignments in these Service directory 35 areas for newspapers and magazines including the International Herald Grapevine 42 Tribune, Newsweek, Time Magazine, Wall On the move 43 Street Journal, Forbes and for many other journals. He is also a specialist writer on aviation, tourism and telecommunications, NEWS ANALYSIS as well as security and defence matters. 8 Drinking deviations Robin Gauldie has been a freelance Policy wordings are tightening up for UK consumers journalist since 1989, writing for the travel sections of national newspapers including The EURAMI resignations: The Sunday Telegraph, The Observer, The why did the leadership quit? 20 Times, The Sunday Mirror, The Guardian and Scotland on Sunday. He is the author FEATURES of more than 20 travel guidebooks to destinations including Greece, Scotland, ITIC Shanghai Review 24 France, Portugal, Egypt and Morocco. A synopsis of the conference sessions that took place at the Peninsula Shanghai in June Assistance & Healthcare World Markets: Shifting sands 32 Saudi Arabia’s healthcare infrastructure is undergoing a sea change ITIJ TEAM Editor-in-chief: Ian Cameron ITIJ Published on behalf of: Voyageur Publishing & Events Ltd, Editor: Sarah Watson Voyageur Buildings, 43 Colston St, Bristol BS1 5AX, UK Voyageur Buildings, 43 Colston Street, Bristol BS1 5AX, UK Title editor: Mandy Aitchison The information contained in this publication has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Neither the Copy editor: James Paul Wallis Telephone: +44 (0)117 922 6600 publisher nor Voyageur Ltd can accept any responsibility for any error or misinterpretation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or Editorial assistant: Stefan Mohamed editorial dept: Ext. 3 other damage caused by reliance on the information contained in this publication, or in the event of bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of Conference manager: Denise Clements advertising dept: Ext. 1 the trade of any company, individual or fi rm mentioned is hereby excluded. The views expressed do not necessarily refl ect those of the publisher. Production: Kirsty Diclaudio subscriptions dept: Ext. 209 Helen Watts accounts dept: Ext. 4 Printed by Pensord Press, South Wales, United Kingdom Subscriptions: Kate Knowles Copyright © Voyageur Publishing 2012. Materials in this publication may not fax: +44 (0)117 929 2023 Advertising sales: David Fitzpatrick be reproduced in any form without permission James Miller email: [email protected] web: www.itij.co.uk INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE JOURNAL ISSN 1743-1522 Finance: Elspeth Reid Louise Goddard Would you like to make a comment? Design: V Creative Design WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE? Please get in touch with Ian Cameron, vcreativedesign.co.uk VISIT www.itij.co.uk/subscription Editor-in-Chief of ITIJ on +44 (0)117 922 6600 ext205 International Travel Insurance Journal EDITOR SIGN. 1 EDITOR SIGN. 2 SALES SIGN. 1 SALES SIGN. 2 CONFR. SIGN. PAGE NO. 2 PAGE UPDATE EDITOR SIGN. 1 EDITOR SIGN. 2 SALES SIGN. 1 SALES SIGN. 2 CONFR. SIGN. PAGE NO. 3 PAGE UPDATE 4 NEWS Sharp increase in Brit tourist injuries Figures from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth boozy behaviour – not necessarily surprising on Office (FCO) have shown a significant increase in the notorious ‘party islands’ such as Mallorca – has been number of British tourists being hospitalised while partly attributed to changing demographics, with abroad in popular spots such as Mallorca – which much younger people heading out to the islands on saw a 132-per-cent increase in hospitalisations in the their first trips without their parents. So ... more ‘trouble at the mill!’** two years preceding March 2012 – and Ibiza – which However, party behaviour cannot take all of the blame. ... and this time, the epicentre is in has seen a 40-per-cent increase in the same time The FCO’s report has also found that visitors coming Germany. No, it’s not the European period. Last year, an average of 70 British people were by cruise ship – a type of holiday whose popularity Central Bank and its Euro worries hospitalised per week while holidaying overseas, and is consistently on the increase – are often older, and (probably more about that in future over 30 per cent of these were in Spain. frequently have pre-existing conditions that are not issues), no, instead it’s EURAMI, whose The FCO’s annual British Behaviour Abroad report covered by their policies. “We witness many cases headquarters are there. shows that between 1 April 2011 and 31 March where people have invalidated their policy – perhaps EURAMI, for those of you who spend 2012, the government body handled 19,874 by not declaring a pre-existing medical condition or your time reading publications other assistance cases – a three-per-cent rise from the not checking their policy covers a particular activity, than ITIJ (Never!! I hear you cry??), previous year. According to FCO staff, the majority such as hiring a moped,” said Jeremy Browne, minister is the self-styled accreditation body of the Spanish island cases involve Brits under the for consular services. “Unfortunately, they are then for the international air ambulance influence of drugs and alcohol, circumstances that surprised that the Foreign Office cannot pay for their industry, and they’re having a bit of frequently result in the invalidation of policies.