Kenyan hoteliers bypass travel warnings

IN an attempt to boost
tourism, Kenyan coastal
hoteliers have partnered with
AIG Kenya Insurance to launch
a new travel insurance product
that will cover terrorismrelated
incidents.
According to tourism
industry players in Kenya,
numerous travellers have
expressed the wish to travel
to the coast of Kenya, but are
reluctant to book because
they can’t find a travel
insurance that will cover them
while government-issued
travel warnings are in place.
South African travel
insurance companies will
only cover Kenyan areas for
which no travel warning has
been issued. Uriah Jansen,
md of Oojah Travel Insurance,
and Hanri Pretorius, travel
insurance manager of Bidvest,
both explain the providers
follow advice issued by the
Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (FCO). If the insured
party travels to areas listed
as dangerous by the FCO,
such as Mombasa or Lamu,
they would be covered for
all benefits except any claim
relating to terrorism.
Mohammed Hersi, chairman
of Kenya Coast Tourists
Association, says the new
insurance product will be
available to all tourists and is
not just a stopgap measure
for the travel advisory period.
“This partnership will open
up the entire coast tourism
fraternity including Lamu and
ensure tourist traffic flow is
maintained. The coast region
has been hard hit in the
recent times with all the travel
advisories. This has resulted
in low number of bookings
to the region. This insurance
cover will serve to mitigate
that challenge and offer a
solution to our clients