Travel firms to ask insurers to cover Zika

Travel firms to ask insurers to cover Zika

Travel firms to ask insurers to cover Zika

Dao Loan

A worker fogs the drains in the common areas of a public housing estate at an area where locally transmitted Zika cases were discovered in Singapore August 31, 2016. Many travel companies in HCMC will request insurers to include the Zika disease in travel insurance contracts for their tourists to Singapore and Malaysia – PHOTO: REUTERS

HCMC – Many travel companies in HCMC will request insurers to include the Zika disease in travel insurance contracts for their tourists to Singapore and Malaysia given the increasing Zika scare in the two regional countries.

Tour operators said there have not been many cancellations of bookings by Vietnamese visitors to Singapore and Malaysia. The two countries attract hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese travelers a year.

Tran Thi Viet Huong, marketing director of Vietravel, told the Daily that the company is sending six groups of 140 guests to Singapore until September 10 and schedules for the group remain unchanged.

Other tourist companies such as Fiditour, Ben Thanh Tourist, Viking and Viettours confirmed their ongoing Singapore and Malaysia tours for Vietnamese. But they are concerned that they will attract fewer bookings than usual if Zika infections in the two countries show no signs of letting up.

Travel firms are reviewing travel insurance contract terms for their guests to ensure that they will be insured against the disease while traveling to the countries. Some are willing to pay more for their insurance coverage to add the Zika disease to the contracts to protect their customers.

Luu Dinh Phuc, director of Viettours, said no customer had expressed concern about the Zika situation in Singapore and Malaysia. However, he said all insurance contract terms for the company’s guests would be checked carefully to make sure that they will be insured although insurance contracts contain terms on epidemics at destinations.

Huong said Vietravel is working with insurers to include compensation terms for guests. In addition, the company provides face masks and hand sanitizer for travelers.

Tran Xuan Hung, director of Viking, said he has contacted insurance companies to discuss compensation terms for customers. Insurance firms are unsure about it but have promised to calculate appropriate compensation for travelers.

Hung said the current travel insurance contract for customers only specifies that tour operators are required to report to their insurance firm partners when their guests enter Zika-hit areas.

However, travel companies like Fiditour assumed that customers would be compensated when they are infected by diseases including Zika as stipulated in travel insurance contracts.

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