TORONTO — Hurricane Irma left more than 400 Canadian travellers stranded last fall and while airlines added extra flights to bring those travellers home, many vacationers caught up in Irma’s wrath incurred expenses they had not foreseen, nor budgeted for, says Allianz.

“Canadians are likely already paying attention to the weather in the country or region where they are going,” says Dan Keon, Vice President, Market Management, Allianz Global Assistance Canada.  “However, once the government issues a travel advisory or a storm is named, it’s too late to buy travel insurance to cover it.”

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season kicked off June 1 and runs until the end of November.

For clients booking trips during hurricane season, travel insurance is important, says Keon.  Plans may refund eligible pre-paid travel expenses to the maximum allowable coverage, as well as other eligible expenses such as cost of a hotel room, meals and transportation if an insured’s trip is delayed or if their vacation is interrupted. In addition, trip interruption coverage may reimburse an insured for expenses incurred to get home or to another destination.

Allianz Global Assistance recommends clients check travel advisories for their destination prior to booking to ensure the coast is clear before buying travel insurance. Keon says Allianz’s travel assistance department is available 24/7 to assist customers, and its TripWise app allows the insured to do everything from accessing local emergency phone numbers to locating hospitals and health care facilities that have been reviewed by Allianz Global Assistance, as well as translating key first aid terms into 18 languages.

In 2017, notable for its ferocious hurricane activity, the Canadian government issued travel warnings for many of the most popular destinations for Canadians including Cuba, the D.R., the Bahamas, Florida and Antigua and Barbuda. The region saw four major storms in succession – hurricanes Irma, Harvey, Maria and Jose.