Travel misery for Inca trail tourists

January 26th, 2010

The stranding of nearly 2,000 tourists, when heavy rains and mudslides in Peru blocked the train route to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, is a dramatic example of what can go wrong on holiday. No serious injuries have been reported to date but the Peruvian government declared an emergency in the region and airlifted 20 elderly and ill tourists by helicopter but the remainder are having to wait for the rail track, covered by land slips, to be repaired before being evacuated.
Thankfully, these incidents are still few and far between, but perhaps not so when it comes to the less explored regions of the globe, As more travellers venture into remoter areas, there will be an element of risk that will invariably attach itself to such holidays so using reputable tour operators and having adequate travel insurance cover is an absolute must. Such incidents are a good example on why insurance is so necessary when going on holiday.
Most people tend to think about losing a bag or suffering a delay at the airport but travel insurance covers so much more. The list is long. Tourists, in such incidents, should be eligible for reimbursement of the rest of their holiday if they have to curtail it short; any hospital costs from injuries sustained should be covered with repatriation included where necessary; personal belongings will be covered, legal costs should also be covered for any subsequent litigation and any lasting injury or death, as a result, could be covered by the personal accident part of the policy.
Travel insurance won't stop an incident occurring but will significantly ease the distress and pain in the aftermath. So when deciding on purchasing travel insurance for your next trip, do think of the bigger picture rather than the loss on an ipod.