As climate change continues to push extreme weather events to the forefront, travel companies are responding by offering weather insurance policies. These policies are designed to reimburse vacationers whose trips are ruined by bad weather. This shift addresses a growing hesitation among travelers who are increasingly concerned about booking trips in the face of unpredictable weather patterns.
Traditionally, travel insurance policies covering trip cancellation, interruption, and delays have focused on hurricanes and tropical storms. “Most — if not all — travel insurance policies that cover trip cancellation, trip interruption and trip delays were created to address hurricanes and tropical storms,” Tim Dodge, vice president of marketing at Arch RoamRight, told Forbes. However, extreme weather events such as heavy rainstorms, unbearable heat, and poor air quality from wildfires have become more common, necessitating broader coverage.
To provide peace of mind, companies are now offering refunds and rebooking options for vacations affected by adverse weather. This includes scenarios where beach vacations are rained out or amusement park visits are disrupted by extreme heat. “The experience matters so much more than the money to people,” Nick Cavanaugh, founder and CEO of Sensible Weather, explained to the Washington Post. Sensible Weather offers weather guarantees to automatically reimburse vacationers when the forecast meets previously agreed-upon conditions.
Sensible Weather has partnered with over 3,500 businesses to provide these “weather guarantees,” ensuring travelers can get their money back if their vacation experience is marred by unexpected weather. This innovative approach aims to reduce the anxiety associated with travel planning in an era of increasingly erratic weather patterns, allowing people to book trips with greater confidence.
