We have strongly recommended that our travelers purchase high-quality travel insurance to protect the investment they have made in their safari. The current flight restrictions over Europe, due to the volcanic ash cloud, have created a lot of confusion for travelers.
Since the great majority of our travelers fly to East Africa via Amsterdam or London, we are pleased to advise our travelers that this travel disruption is a covered event under many of Travel Guard’s policies. It is one more reason we have offered Travel Guard travel insurance to our clients for many years.
I have personal experience with the impact of volcano eruptions on our travels. In 1999, we were also designing customized itineraries to The Galapagos Islands. I had been selected to design a private tour for 42 members of the Board and other friends of the Wildlife Conservation Society, in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the opening of the Bronx Zoo.
In order to reach The Galapagos, everyone must fly into Quito or Guayaquil in Ecuador. We had chosen to start in Quito, so our travelers could enjoy a day exploring this remarkable city and learning about its fascinating history.
A few weeks before departure, a volcano named Pichincha (Quechua for “Child”) erupted, sending clouds of ash over Quito. The volcano was sporadic in its eruptions, resulting in a cycle of closing and opening of Mariscal Sucre International Airport.
Our response was to secure backup room and restaurant reservations in Guayaquil and mobilize a second “greeting” team in case our travelers were unable to land in Quito.
As I waited for the flight to arrive in Quito that evening, we were advised that the airport was closed and that the flight was being diverted to Guayaquil. While disappointed they would not explore Quito, our travelers took it all in stride as our backup team met them upon arrival and took them to their hotel. They explored Guayaquil the next day and toasted our Guayaquil team’s planning and preparation at their celebratory dinner.
Tags: Travel Insurance