When things go wrong....
TRAVEL is inherently a risky activity.
Taking people out of their comfort
zone and into destinations
where they may not speak the local
language and are unfamiliar with safety
precautions makes them far more
vulnerable to potentially dangerous
situations. These three case studies
are evidence of the importance of
ensuring your client has considered
the value of taking out comprehensive
travel insurance.
A terror attack in Tunisia
According to TIC, terror-related
disruptions are profoundly affecting
the travel industry around the world.
As travel becomes more uncertain,
travellers are becoming more aware
of the importance of taking out a
comprehensive travel insurance policy.
TIC recently paid a R1,4m claim
when a client, who was on holiday in
North Africa, was shot by terrorists.
Her claim was paid in full and she
was repatriated to South Africa with a
medical escort. This is her story:
“My husband and I left South Africa
in March last year for a planned fiveweek
overseas holiday. The first leg of
our journey was a seven-day Western
Mediterranean cruise on board the
MSC Splendida. We departed from
Rome and a couple of days later we
docked at Gaulette Harbour in Tunis.
“We went on an excursion to visit
various sites in Tunisia. Around midday,
we were at the Bardo Museum – well
known for its collection of mosaics.
The museum is next to the Parliament
buildings. While we were inside the
museum, it was attacked by ISIS
terrorists. It was later thought that they
were actually targeting the Parliament,
whose members were planning a
discussion on terrorist activities. The
terrorists were prevented from entering
Parliament and then started to attack
the tourists next door in the museum.
“They shot indiscriminately at tourists
with AK47 assault rifles. We were all
huddled on the floor. Two terrorists
entered the room where we were and
started shooting at close range. I
sustained at least four bullet wounds
– three through my body (injuring my
bladder, intestines and my hip joint) and
one through my foot. The terrorists left
us bleeding, some dying, and retreated
while they continued their attack. They
held some tourists hostage and it took
about three hours before the security
forces could kill them and send in help
to the wounded. Twenty-four people
died in total. Miraculously, my husband
was not injured.
“I was taken to the Habib Thameur
Hospital where emergency operations
and blood transfusions were performed
to repair my internal injuries. I was in
a critical condition and in an induced
coma for approximately 10 days. I
was treated in ICU for five weeks and
then evacuated to the Netcare Unitas
hospital in Centurion.
“I am one of those people who
reluctantly part with my money when
buying travel insurance, although I have
always done so. The fact of the matter
is that, without travel insurance there
is absolutely no way that we would
have been able to manage the financial
implications of this traumatic event.
The fact that we do not have to worry
about outstanding financial bills makes
the load lighter!”
Travellers tend to ignor real risks
TRAVELLERS and corporates
tend to spend too much
time focusing on unlikely
events such as terrorist
attacks, and underplay the
likelihood of more common
incidents like road accidents
and medical emergencies.
This is according to
research released by
International SOS and
Control Risks, together
with their Travel Risk Map
for 2017.
Rob Walker, security
specialist at International
SOS and Control Risks,
said: “Events of 2016
have resulted in a sense
of increasing challenges
in travel to places once
thought secure. While risks
are changing, organisations
must ensure their actions to
mitigate those changes are
proportionate and based on
reality and not perception.
Issues like healthcare and
provision and road safety,
which account for over 70%
of the assistance services
we have provided in the past
year, can often be obscured
by more prominent, but less
likely issues.”
Despite an increased
perception of risk (72% of
respondents), 44% reported
a rise in business travel
activity in the past year
and over half expect a
further increase in 2017.
Interestingly, 80% of
organisations modified travel
itineraries in the past year
due to health and security
concerns, while almost
half of respondents (48%)
say their organisation’s
investment in travel risk
mitigation has increased
over the past year and 47%
believe this will increase
further in the coming year.
On a global level, the
biggest concerns are
potential terror attacks
(71%), followed by Zika virus
(49%) and civil unrest (46%),
with inadequate healthcare
and road accidents both
at 15%. However, these
less considered but more
common issues should also
be taken seriously, says SOS
International.
Dr Irene Lai, Medical
Director of Information and
Analysis for International
SOS, said: “It is vital for
companies to familiarise
themselves and their
travellers with the health
risks associated with travel
and take measures to
reduce those risks. While
the Zika virus has had
extensive media coverage
this year, common medical
issues that don’t make the
headlines, such as gastric
issues or running out of
regular medication, are more
likely and can destroy a
business trip.
“Road accidents are also a
major issue and one of the
top-five causes of medical
evacuation. A number of
countries showed significant
reduction in deaths from
road accidents in the past
year, but organisations
should be mindful that they
remain a common major
risk,” she added.
