MONTREAL — All of ACV’s flight and hotel packages to select destinations in Mexico and in the Caribbean will include – for free – the tour operator’s new COVID-19 Coverage and Assistance Plan, administered by Allianz Global Assistance.
Some 33 destinations are on the list for the free coverage, from Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Montego Bay, Varadero and Cayo Coco to Antigua, Aruba, Grenada, Grand Cayman, Saint Lucia and more. The full list can be found here.
Since Canada’s travel advisory warning against all non-essential travel was put in place more than five months ago, getting out-of-country COVID-19 coverage has been next to impossible.
As travel and tourism in other countries have opened up, a growing number of airlines, resort companies and destinations – from Emirates to Palladium to the D.R. – have brought to market their own insurance coverage.
Insurance issues, along with the 14-day quarantine for travellers returning to (or arriving in) Canada, are the biggest hurdles to getting clients to travel again amid the pandemic, say agents.
ACV’s Managing Director, Nino Montagnese says ACV “is pleased to be the first Canadian tour operator to ensure coverage is in place for emergency medical and quarantine expenses relating to COVID-19 through Allianz Global Assistance and the brokerage firm TW Insurance Services as a part of our vacation packages.”
“Our strategy, in conjunction with Air Canada CleanCare+, has been to be at the forefront of travel safety measures, including through the implementation of our Health and Safety Standards in our Sun destinations. We look forward to continuing to work with Allianz Global Assistance to turn our customers’ travel dreams into reality.”
Bookings must be made on or after Aug. 31, 2020 for travel Sept. 4, 2020 – April 30, 2021 to applicable destinations to be eligible for coverage under the COVID-19 Coverage and Assistance Plan.
Chris Van Kooten, Chief Executive Officer at Allianz Global Assistance, says that as Canadians look forward to travelling again, “safety while abroad is top of mind for travellers more than ever before. Air Canada Vacations’ customers can once again travel with confidence and enjoy their holiday to the fullest with peace of mind about COVID-19 related medical emergencies.”
Click here for policy terms and conditions.
