Published on Wednesday, March 15, 2017
You may think it's too late to buy travel insurance for spring break, but it's not. Find out what benefits your clients can get with last-minute travel insurance.
Published on Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Your clients most likely do not have a hospital visit on the agenda for their trip abroad, but it is something that they - and you - should be prepared for in the event an unfortunate accident or sickness happens them while on the road.
Here we'll share what your clients should do to prepare for their trip and what to do during and after an emergency visit to the hospital.
Published on Wednesday, November 16, 2016
When planning a trip, the possibility of a natural disaster striking is often overlooked or minimized. Sure, your travelers might make contingency plans if they’re booking a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season or flying through Chicago during winter, but what about the disasters that aren’t predictable - like an earthquake or volcano? How can your travelers plan for those?
In short, make sure your clients have a good travel insurance policy that covers against natural disasters. The types of situations covered and the type of coverage itself will vary from provider to provider, so it’s important to understand the ins and outs of the policies you sell to your travelers.
Published on Wednesday, November 9, 2016
.jpg)
Sometimes, travel insurance is forgotten when planning a domestic trip. But why? There are many benefits travel insurance can provide for travelers who are not leaving the country. For example, would you fly from Hawaii to the continental United Statesunprotected? Learn why travel insurance is not only smart for international trips but for domestic ones as well.
Published on Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Military families have unique needs when it comes to travel insurance. What if orders are changed? Or someone is called to duty? Find out how RoamRight's plans address these issues for this valuable segment of our society.
Published on Wednesday, October 19, 2016
A wedding is supposed to be the happiest day of a couple’s lives, surrounded by their friends, family, and loved ones to celebrate and enjoy the day. For destination weddings, all of the guests, including the bride and groom have to travel, but the triptoabeautifullocation is a special event in itself. Except, what if something goes wrong?
Published on Wednesday, October 5, 2016
The holidays are a fun, but stressful, time of year, and holiday travel can be all of the stress without any of the fun. To help your clients protect their family togetherness time, as well as feel more festive, insurance can help protect them.
Published on Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Terrorism is becoming a real concern for travelers and travel planners. Find out how your clients can protect their trips with RoamRight travel insurance. What happens if an attack occurs before they leave home? Or worse - while they are on their trip?
Published on Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Offering travel insurance should be as much the part of your booking process as getting your client’s name and birthday: You should do it for every client you sell to.
Find out what may happen to your bottom line if every client you booked bought travel insurance through you.
Published on Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Ask any travel agent or tour provider which demographic makes up the majority of their travelers, and they’ll say Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers are over the age of 55, generally with an empty nest and near retirement. This demographic is traveling, and traveling a lot, because they finally have the time and money to do so.
Published on Wednesday, August 24, 2016
While Millennials are the fastest growing demographic of travelers and value experiences over material things, Generation X consumers are more likely to prioritize family life and togetherness. Deep into their career phase of life, Gen Xers have commitments that pull them in any number of directions – work, family, business travel, and home ownership – all competing for quiet time and leisure travel. So when this demographic takes a trip, the time is precious and cherished.
This post features tips to help Gen X travelers insure their future trips.
Published on Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Iceland’s cool climate is getting a lot of hot attention right now. With the introduction of a low-cost airline offering non-stop, direct flights from many East Coast cities to Reykjavik, more travelers have Iceland in their horizon than ever before.
Learnhow to help your travelers plan the perfect trip to the majestic country that is Iceland.
Published on Wednesday, July 27, 2016
In 2016, the United States National Parks Service is celebrating its 100th birthday with celebrations all across America in some of the best parks and recreation areas found anywhere in the world. Discover some of the most-forgotten yet most-interesting National Parks in the U.S. and some of the amazing activities travelers can experience.
Additionally, learn what additional travel insurance travelers may need when visiting a specific park. See what National Park activities may require RoamRight's Adventure Plan or Hazardous Sports add-on.
Published on Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Millions of people every day are using online services like Airbnb and Uber to make travel easier. These services are beginning to replace traditional travel necessities such as hotels and public transportation, staples of many travel insurance plans.
But with Airbnb and Uber becoming more mainstream, how are travel insurance policies designed to help protect the travelers using these services?
Published on Wednesday, June 22, 2016
When a significant event occurs that is likely to impact travelers and travel plans, RoamRight has two ways of reaching out to travelers: through our mobile app and by email.
Proactively contacting travelers in an emergency reassures them that we are here to care for them. Find out more about this exciting service from RoamRight.
Published on Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Millennials are everywhere and businesses across pretty much every industry have had to alter their sales tactics to appeal to this new demographic. This generation of travelers is one of the fastest growing segments in the industry, making up a fifth of all global travelers. Millennials love to travel, have money to spend and, most importantly, make decisions in an entirely different manner than their predecessors.
Published on Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Unlike other natural disasters, hurricanes are slightly more predictable and travelers can get information about the storm ahead of time. This makes travelers a bit more confident in their travel plans. However each year, RoamRight sees a handful of
travelers who opted out of insurance – until it was too late.
If you have travelers going anywhere along the Atlantic Coast, the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean, they should be prepared.
Published on Wednesday, May 11, 2016
While most travelers want trip cancellation protection, some may only need travel health insurance, or travel medical insurance, to protect them on their trip. However, each medical plan has different features – do you know what your travelers need? Here are five things to look for in a health insurance plan for your travelers.
Published on Wednesday, May 4, 2016
In an unofficial survey, the RoamRight customer service team said that if they could get people to understand one thing about their travel insurance, it would be to buy early. Ideally, travel insurance should be purchased at the same time as the first deposit is made on a trip. Waiting could mean missing out on valuable benefits.
Published on Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Amber Young at Soul at Sea cruises gives us insight as to why she chose to become a RoamRight partner. She also gives advice on how you too can make the most of offering RoamRight travel insurance to your clients.
Published on Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Renting a vacation home is growing in popularity for travelers who prefer the sanctuary of a private home over the sometimes chaotic schedule of large hotels and resorts. Talk with your clients about their lifestyle and previous vacation experiences to see if this is something they might like.
Published on Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Diving vacations, whether it’s the entire trip or just a day’s activity, are increasingly popular but it’s important that your clients are informed before embarking on a tropical diving trip. Smart travel agents and tour operators understand the importance
of preparing their clients for this unique vacation style, whether it’s recommending a local dive center to refresh skills or become certified before leaving home. Here are just a couple of the many you’re your scuba divering clients should consider in
order to avoid complications and insure their health and well-being on a vacation that includes a fair amount of diving.
Published on Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Renting and driving a car in another country can be a scary experience no matter how experienced the traveler. The first time my husband and I traveled in Spain, we rented a car in Sevilla and drove to the village of Nerja on the Mediterranean, an area
known as the Costa del Sol, or Coast of the Sun. It’s where I celebrated a significant birthday and life was good.
Until we were just a few miles from the Sevilla airport for our return flight home. Road construction forced four lanes of traffic into two via an army of orange barrels and cones. As we slowly merged into another lane, we clipped the side view mirror
on an orange barrel, snapping it off and shattering the driver’s window.
Published on Wednesday, March 16, 2016
A wonderful, weeklong ski vacation is something many individuals and families look forward to all year. They come to you, their travel expert, for the best air fares, condo prices and packages, as well as information on special events and other activities in an effort to plan the best snow-packed getaway possible.
But too often, they overlook some of the simplest things that can be done to ensure a great mountain vacation. Offer these simple steps and words of wisdom for before and during their trip to ensure your clients minimize risk of injury and illness.
Published on Wednesday, March 2, 2016
In the recent past, we've seen events that make many travelers question whether or not it’s safe to even leave home. People acknowledge that these events scare them, but they don’t want to miss out on the opportunities that travel presents.
RoamRight can show you how to help your clients protect themselves, gain "travel" peace of mind, and keep traveling.
Published on Wednesday, February 3, 2016
The Zika virus is having a significant impact on the travel community. Honeymoons, babymoons, and vacations are all being rescheduled or postponed because of the fear of infection. In fact, our assistance provider, On Call International conducted a survey which found that up to 64% of Americans would cancel their trip because of the virus.
Published on Wednesday, January 27, 2016
In the wake of Winter Storm Jonas, it’s the perfect time to talk to your clients about travel insurance.
The East Coast came to a standstill this week as Winter Storm Jonas brought record-breaking snowfalls. More than 13,000 flights were delayed or cancelled, rail service was shutdown, and major interstates were closed. While governments worked hard to keep their cities moving, many travelers found that they would not be moving for a while.
Published on Wednesday, January 20, 2016
This post continues our series “Is it covered?” Carefully evaluating plan information and coverage to help assure travelers that they are protected for possible mishaps or issues specific to their circumstances is critical for travel professionals. In this series we will review different scenarios that may challenge your insurance knowledge, and in so doing sharpen your skills for assisting your travelers and determining the best coverage choices.
Published on Wednesday, January 13, 2016
In the aftermath of Paris and other terrorist attacks, how do you reassure your travelers that it’s okay to keep traveling? This webinar can help you learn how to keep your clients traveling!
Published on Wednesday, December 23, 2015
With the increase in end-of-the-year travel, there’s also a increase in buzz in the travel industry. Here are some headlines that have caught our attention in the past few weeks.
Published on Wednesday, December 16, 2015
According to Pew Research*, as of October 2014, 90% of American adults own a cell phone. So how can you make supporting your travelers easier and their journeys proceed more smoothly by leveraging this piece of equipment?
We’ve compiled a list of some of the best travel-related apps and a few other useful resources that you can share with your clients.
Published on Wednesday, December 9, 2015
In an uncertain world, travelers purchase travel insurance to have peace of mind that they are covered financially and/or medically when they travel. In this series we will review different scenarios that may challenge your insurance knowledge, and in so doing sharpen your skills for assisting your travelers and determining the best coverage choices.
Published on Wednesday, December 2, 2015
At almost 90 years old, Betty* was looking forward to her three-week trip to Norway. She was going to see the midnight sun, eat pickled herring, and venture into the Arctic Circle.A week into her trip, Betty developed a case of pneumonia. She experienced respiratory distress, was hospitalized, and put on a ventilator to help her breathe. Ultimately, she stayed in the hospital for 20 days before she was able to fly home via air ambulance. The cost of her evacuation? Almost $90,000.
Published on Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Imagine you have a client who decided to give his mom a birthday
surprise with a vacation to Italy! The whole family is excited and the
trip has been going exactly as planned. Then something happens that
you’ll never forget: The mom has a stroke and is hospitalized. What
would you do?
Published on Wednesday, November 18, 2015
It was every traveler’s worst nightmare. Last Friday, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks took place in Paris, France. Everyday people, doing everyday things – some who were far from home - were suddenly victims of horrific violence. As news came out,the death tolls continued to rise: 129 people died and more than 340 were injured.
Published on Tuesday, November 3, 2015
In a perfect world, travelers might be required to take a test after buying travel insurance, just to be sure they know what they have. Major misconceptions, leading to disappointment down the line when an inappropriate claim is made and rejected mightbe eliminated…if they could be forced to take that test. Stop right there, and that strategy is riddled with customer un-friendly problems. While sellers of travel might want to ensure that travelers understand their coverage, we all know that readingpolicies is about as interesting as watching paint dry. Still, if those who sell travel protection do a good job of selling it in the first place, understanding comes naturally.
Published on Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Agents spend a great amount of time tending to existing clients. Indeed, that function is a big part of retaining those clients and the time is well spent. But what about identifying and gaining new clients? How do agents today grow their business fortomorrow? Word-of-mouth recommendation from happy travelers goes a long way but is limited to a small circle of their friends. Traditional forms of advertising might bring potential clients but the return on that investment is often elusive. Still, thosetraditional methods of engaging existing and potential clients are well defined as opposed to the vast, unknown world of the Internet, social media and blogging, right? Actually, ‘wrong’ is the correct answer, as mainstream business is finding its placein cyberspace.
Published on Tuesday, October 20, 2015
For many travel agents and tour operators, it seems like offering travel insurance is a postscript – it’s presented as an add-on once the trip is booked. In the same way someone may say: Would you like fries with that?, you can hear it being said: Would you like travel insurance with that?
Trust us – this is not the most effective way to sell travel insurance.
Published on Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Regardless of which travel product we speak of, almost all will include an option to add travel protection just by checking a box. It’s the easy way to include some kind of coverage, which might make some sense. Still, the notion that some ‘coverage is better than no coverage’ can be misleading if not a critical error.
Published on Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Having travel protection provides a bit of security to travelers, knowing if something goes wrong and that something is covered, things will turn out better for them. Still, travelers don’t want anything to go wrong. But, the mere fact that they bought travel protection in the first place can be a measure of how important it is to them that everything goes smoothly.
Published on Tuesday, September 22, 2015
When planning any trip, anywhere in the world, most travelers come prepared. They take along appropriate clothing; think about where they will be going and what they will be doing when they get there. While up-front costs are well defined, they try tobudget for expenses along the way too. That’s on any business or pleasure trip. The world of Adventure Travel can have some dramatic outcomes, demanding special attention be paid to everything from travel gear to travel protection. Some of that attentionis obvious and easy to define, some not so much.
Published on Tuesday, September 15, 2015
You might say that Andy Lange is a travel insurance advocate. As the owner of Lange Travel, Andy has firsthand knowledge of the importance of having travel insurance. Travel agents like Andy don’t just sell insurance – they provide a critical service that is needed during what is possibly the most important and most stressful moment of a person’s life. RoamRight interviewed Andy to learn more about how he sells travel insurance to his clients and why he believes in the product so much.
Published on Tuesday, September 8, 2015
The easy answer to which tours are most apt to be a good fit and easy sale for travel protection will include travel to ‘hot spots’. Areas of political, economic or civil unrest come to mind.
Published on Tuesday, September 1, 2015
You never know when a medical emergency will occur, and when you rely on Medicare for insurance, understanding your coverage is essential before you travel internationally.
Published on Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Taking responsibility for travelers anywhere in the world is a big charge. You want to provide the best travel experience for your clients, while protecting them from the risks that are inherent with travel. One way to do that is to make sure their travel insurance needs are met.
Published on Tuesday, August 18, 2015
We buy travel insurance for a number of really good reasons, many of which provide easy to understand assurance that if something goes wrong, we’re covered. Not so easy to understand is insurance against ‘acts of God,’ which includes hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and probably volcano eruptions.
Published on Thursday, July 30, 2015
When determining needs for travel insurance, considering the frequency of traveling domestically and internationally is important, for more reasons than one might imagine. It makes sense to cover flight delays and lost luggage regardless of where and
when we travel. Cancellation too is important whether traveling by land, air or sea. Still, considering domestic travel as a place to start and then layering appropriate coverage on top of that for international travel makes sense in a number of ways.
Published on Wednesday, July 29, 2015
The title of this article suggests that there is a perfect time in the selling process for travel agents to recommend buying travel insurance, and indeed there is. But no one formula for success will convert that effort into a sale. That process begins well before the booking even occurs.
To try slipping in “Shall I add the travel insurance?” when gathering required booking details works well for some travel agents. They are happy with their results and see no reason to change what works. But I would almost guarantee you that the percentage of clients taking them up on the offer is far less than agents who make a point of going about the entire topic of travel insurance in a more engaging way.