ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. December 13, 2018 — On Wednesday, December 11, 2018, a shooting at France’s largest Christmas market has left at least three dead and been declared an act of terrorism. With the gunman still on the loose and the country reeling from the recent riots in Paris, travelers may be concerned about their upcoming trips. Fortunately, most travel insurance policies include cancellation coverage for terrorist attacks, as long as specific conditions are met.
Travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth, explains what travelers need to know now about coverage related to this shooting and possible future attacks.
If You Do Have Travel Insurance
- Travelers with an upcoming trip to France may be eligible to cancel if their policy includes Trip Cancellation coverage for terrorism. In order to qualify for this benefit, policies must meet some or all of the following requirements:
- The traveler’s trip departure date must be within 7-30 days of the Christmas market attack on December 11th
- The traveler’s itinerary must include Strasbourg or an area within 50-100 miles of the city
- Travelers currently in Strasbourg can be covered to cut their trip short and return home early if their policy includes Trip Interruption coverage for terrorism.
- Travelers experiencing delays due to the attack and subsequent transportation shutdown may also have coverage under the Travel Delay benefit.
- Travel Delay reimburses additional expenses such as meals and accommodations if travelers experience an unexpected transportation delay for 3-12 hours, depending on the policy requirements.
If You Do Not Currently Have Travel Insurance
- Uninsured travelers that no longer wish to go on a scheduled trip to France due to the Christmas market attack can no longer purchase a policy with coverage to cancel due to this specific event.
- Travelers who are concerned about future attacks in France or other destinations can still buy a policy to include Trip Cancellation coverage for terrorism.
- Squaremouth recommends that travelers specifically concerned with canceling a trip due to a terrorist attack review their policy specifics, as some policies may not cover a terrorist attack if a previous terrorist attack has occurred in the same city within the past 90 days.
Squaremouth launched the France Christmas Market Attack Travel Insurance Information Center to keep travelers up-to-date with coverage for this event. This resource will be regularly updated by Squaremouth’s travel insurance experts as information becomes available.
About Squaremouth
Squaremouth compares travel insurance products from every major travel insurance provider in the United States. Using Squaremouth’s comparison engine and third-party customer reviews, travelers can research and compare insurance products side-by-side. More information can be found at www.squaremouth.com.