CTA member Towergate Insurance reminds members of the government’s latest guidance on how BREXIT will affect future holidays taken in EU member states and other European countries.

Towergate asserts that preparation is key and suggests some key points for your customers to consider:

1. Take out a travel insurance policy

COVID-19 has shown us how important taking out a travel insurance policy is as part of your holiday plans. We believe that saving money by not taking out a travel insurance policy is a false economy. We strongly suggest you make sure that:

• You are not too old for the policy, as some policies will include a maximum insurable age.

• You declare your pre-existing medical conditions, as some travel insurance policies require you to declare these dependent on where you are travelling to. You many be offered the option of paying an additional premium to cover any declared pre-existing medical conditions.

• You should explore taking out a policy which includes supplier failure or travel disruption covers if you’ve booked a non package holiday.

2. Make sure that you have you have a valid passport

Your passport must be less than 10-years old and have at least 6-months left by your scheduled departure date. Most of us will still have our maroon EU passport, but if you need to replace with a new blue UK passport make sure you allow enough time to complete and submit your application, as well as receive it back from your nearest passport issuing office.

It’s also worth remembering that no travel insurance policy will settle a cancellation claim caused by you not having a valid passport or new EU travel visa in place.

3. Make sure that you take out the UK’s Global Health Insurance Card (GHID)

This is the replacement for the EU’s European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) reciprocal health agreement. Remember, it’s not a replacement for a travel insurance policy. As per the EHIC, the GHIC only covers emergency medical and treatment costs should you fall ill within EU countries. Please check the Government advice on which countries the GHIC currently includes.

4. What happens if my tour operator fails or my trip is affected by further COVID-19 lockdown restrictions?

If you have taken out a package holiday, the 2018 Package Travel Regulations will continue to apply. Failing that, if you have paid for your holiday with your credit card, you should be afforded Section 75 protection.

If you have arranged your holiday independently, again if you have paid for your holiday with your credit card, you should be afforded Section 75 protection. Failing that other non-package tour operators should comply with Competition Market Authority legislation.

The full government guidance is here