For no extra charge, Shangri-La is providing medical cover to guests staying at its Singapore hotels if they contract Covid-19 during their visit. Rose Dykins reports
To help navigate the complexities of travel insurance in the viral age, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is offering free Covid-19 cover to certain guests staying at its Singapore hotels.
Shangri-La will offer the comprehensive travel insurance free of charge to its guests of its four hotels in Singapore. The policy includes medical cover valued up to S$250,000 (£138,250) if a guest is diagnosed with Covid-19 during their stay.
The policy is underwritten by AIG and, as well as medical expenses for “necessary and reasonable costs” following a positive Covid-19 test, guests can contact AIG for round-the-clock support and emergency travel assistance during their time in Singapore.
The Shangri-La travel insurance cover is available for international guests travelling to Singapore as part of the nation’s Reciprocal Green Lane – which permits mutual essential short-term business trips between Singapore and certain nations – or if the guest has an Air Travel Pass, which allows short-term visits for those travelling from Australia (excluding the state of New South Wales).
To automatically qualify for the free Covid-19 cover, travellers must also book their reservation directly via Shangri-La’s website, app, booking hotline or email and stay before June 30, 2021.
“Having elevated our hotels’ already stringent and rigorous safety and hygiene standards, we are now going the extra mile by providing Covid-19 medical coverage to our Singapore-bound guests, further instilling their travel confidence,” says Chan Kong Leong, regional CEO for the Shangri-La Group in South East Asia and Australasia.
“We have chosen to start with the Singapore market as the Singapore government has been proactively relaxing travel restrictions in a gradual and calibrated manner and has highlighted Covid-19 insurance coverage as a key enabler to rebuilding traveler confidence.
He adds: “Arranging medical coverage at no additional charge for our Singapore-bound guests is yet another demonstration of the warm welcome we are extending to guests, and further cements our efforts to create a trusted and safe environment, so our guests can focus on enjoying the moments that truly matter during their stay with us.”
Globtrender has named “Viral Insurance” as one of 15 key travel trends for the near-future in its 2021 Travel Trend Forecast .
Covid-19-proof travel insurance – covering travellers in the event of cancellations or positive diagnosis while travelling – will be essential to encourage people to invest in trips this year. Insurance companies, airlines, destinations and hotels are responding by offering their own Covid-specific policies to bring customers peace of mind.
