Travel Agents Don’t Have to Go it Alone in a Crisis
by理查德·德·安布罗西奥(Richard D’Ambrosio)/
在过去的2 - 3年中,加拿大旅行者在许多自然和人类的事件中都被席卷了,其中包括2018年在拉斯维加斯进行的枪击事件和去年秋天发生的三起毁灭性飓风。
For many travel advisors, these events required immediate assistance for travelers. For those whose clients were not impacted, agents still need to manage thegrowing anxiety many travelers有一个不确定的世界。
最近在多伦多东部旅行市场东部的旅行者援助危机援助的小组讨论中重申了这种焦虑。
主任专家谭雅McCuen战略重击opment at FocusPoint International, which provides emergency services to travel insurance companies like ManuLife, quoted some results from recent surveys by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).
在ACTE调查中,有87%的商务旅行者表示,在过去的12个月中,他们经历了与旅行有关的不幸,而57%的商务旅客表示,他们认为任何目的地都可能是高风险的目的地。麦康恩说,恐怖主义是GBTA调查受访者对商务旅行者的最大关注点。
“These experiences as business travelers are informing traveler opinions when they travel for leisure, as well,” McCuen said, and travel agents should, at a minimum, be aware of this.
Geneviève Angers, manager, consular communications and outreach with Global Affairs Canada, said that last year, 916 Canadians requested medical assistance from the government agency when traveling abroad. Canada has consulates or similar offices in more than 150 countries.
全球事务还记录了1,400多名加拿大人死亡的援助请求,以及632个“询问”的632个“询问”,这些人的家人和朋友曾一段时间失踪。该机构在2017年秋季飓风季节特别活跃,在新闻中更新其网站,同时还与旅行者及其家人合作,提供有关紧急撤离的信息。
建立救生山脉回家
Very often, especially when it comes to a crisis that could involve medical treatment, a lifeline back to experts in Canada is crucial to helping both the traveler and their families and friends make the best decision. Dealing with a crisis can often make the traveler/patient poorly suited for objective decision-making, said Bruno Sicard, MD and PhD, and chief medical officer for Allianz Global Assistance Canada.
Sicard举了一个旅行者发生车祸的例子,伤病足以让他们去医院稳定他们,但不需要手术。他说:“我们有旅行者想在医院的建议下出院,因为他们认为自己很好。”
When a traveler purchases travel insurance, they receive access to experts like Sicard and his staff, to coordinate care abroad. “Speaking to the doctor, we knew the risk was greater if they left, despite their symptoms not being so apparent. What we do is ask our teams and the hospital or physician we are working with to talk to the patient and family members to rationalize the decision,” Sicard said.
This kind of assistance is even more crucial during what Sicard calls a “collective crisis,” like the 2018 Las Vegas shooting, because local medical service providers could be overwhelmed with victims. Coordination for insured travelers could make their care more effective and efficient.
Call on the experts
All three panelists expressed the importance of agents not trying to be experts themselves, but instead familiarizing themselves with the various information and service options available to their travelers. For example, Angers at Global Affairs Canada, noted how the agency’s website assesses risk in destinations and provides timely updates on potential threats so agents and their clients can make informed decisions prior to booking or departing for a trip.
Also, Global Affairs Canada produces many publications agents canorder for free off their website,包括有关妇女和独奏旅行者安全出国旅行的小册子。
Register and get travel insurance
The Canadian agency also actively promotes registering for international trips, and the purchase of travel insurance. “It’s important that your clients purchase the right type of insurance,” Angers said. She noted how many countries will not provide medical assistance if proof of medical insurance or ability to pay cannot be provided.
“You don’t want your friends to borrow money to get you out of the hospital,” Angers advised.