Making Winter Travel Plans? Tips For Snowbirds And Other Travellers

(NC) – It’s that time of year again, when Canadian snowbirds make their plans to spend the winter in warmer locales. RSA, one of Canada’s leading travel insurance providers, surveyed more than 2,400 Canadian travel consumers and discovered there are different categories of snowbirds with varying travel habits and preferences.

“As our population ages, the snowbird sector has grown and diversified,” says Erin Finn, director of underwriting for RSA’s travel insurance division. “Our research has found there is noticeable variation in travel habits between different categories of snowbirds, in terms of trip lengths, frequency and destinations.”

In addition to traditional snowbirds – 65-and-ups who travel longer than 30 days at a time and typically spend their winters in the common U.S. sun destinations – there is also a younger segment of snowbirds emerging.

They’re Baby Boomer age, 55-64, and they have their own unique preferences, typically favouring trips to more exotic, overseas locations. They’re also more likely to spend their time parasailing or trekking than lying on the beach. And, they tend to travel more frequently, but take slightly shorter trips than traditional snowbirds. RSA offers some recommendations for snowbirds and others buying travel insurance:

• Don’t wait until the last minute. Talk to an experienced travel insurance broker and get a policy that suits your travel needs.

• Ensure that you have adequate emergency medical insurance – up to $5 million – as well as Trip Cancellation & Interruption insurance, if you require it for your trip.

• Ensure your policy has you covered for the entire duration of your trip.

• Check to see what exclusions and limitations your policy contains. Are there conditions around your health status, the part of the world you’re visiting or the activities you’ll be doing? It’s a good idea to talk to your broker about your destination and the kinds of activities you have planned to make sure you have the right coverage.

• Ensure you have access to 24-7, worldwide telephone assistance, should you have to report a claim or require travel assistance.

• If you travel more than once a year, consider an annual plan that covers you for multiple trips.

For more information on RSA’s travel insurance, visit www.rsatravelinsurance.com