The travelling bug has caught all of us and we love travelling. As the travelling season is nearing and many families are planning trips to different parts of the world, it is imperative to know how important travel insurance is. Many of the travelers take travel insurance lightly and do not discuss about travel insurance with the travel agent. It is extremely important to purchase travel insurance before departing for any trip. Travel insurance helps in many an unforeseen case.

Why should we purchase travel insurance?

A few years back travel insurance was unheard of and its significance has doubled over the past five years. The main reasons why a traveler should purchase travel insurance are:

• There is a change in the schedule in the flight or the flight is cancelled.
• The airline has lost the luggage and some urgent medications were in the baggage.
• Travel documents such as passport and wallet is missing and travel insurance can enable you to get cash and get a duplicate passport.
• You were in an accident and need urgent medical aid. Different Countries have diverse medical procedures in place and hence only travel insurance can help in this situation.
• If there is a political unrest in the Country you are travelling and want to head back to your place of origin, travel insurance can come in handy.
• An instance would arise, where you are not able to travel and have to cancel the trip. Cancelling the trip can be costly and travel insurance would help in such a situation and even when you want to cut short the trip.

Categories of Travel insurance

There are different kinds of travel insurance and a traveler can decide on the type of insurance to choose from.

• Health Care Insurance – This would be one of the main worry of a traveler. In the unforeseen incident of having a health problem, only a health insurance can come to your help. If a tourist is admitted to the hospital and if you are a foreigner the hospital authorities would need to know a lot of details. In case of any serious injuries they will treat the patient but would discharge, only once all the payments are made and travel insurance comes handy at this stage.
• Baggage Insurance – Imagine reaching your destination and you find that your baggage is missing. The hassle of buying all the products you need and the cost involved is huge and it can ruin your holiday. Baggage insurance can cover the cost of buying all essentials to continue with your holiday.

A number of people are resistant in purchasing travel insurance, even though they are aware of its advantages. It is advisable to compare the cost of your ticket to the cost of travel insurance and you would realize that the cost of travel insurance is miniscule. When you are on a holiday, you would not want anything to ruin your trip. Travel insurance provides you with peace of mind. Even though you are a seasoned traveler, traveling can be unpredictable at times. If you are a frequent traveler, you can also purchase annual travel insurance and it covers a number of features.