A global conflict might not disturb your everyday routine but it could have the power to disrupt your holiday – before or during it.
Do you know what starts a global conflict? Whether a minor dispute or a full-scale war if a global conflict occurs before or during your trip, there’ll be little you can do to ease the consequences. This is where travel insurance may be able to assist you. Travel insurance provides cover for a wide range of unforeseen risks.
However, some destinations you may think are safe may not be as safe as you think. Also, not all travel insurance policies are the same. Some include high cover levels to protect travellers and their trip from conflict. While others may exclude anything that relates to war or a global conflict. Therefore, it’s important to check the terms and conditions of the policy so you know what you’re covered for.
So, we’re here to share which global conflicts can affect travel and what protection Free Spirit Travel Insurance can provide if one should affect your travel plans. We’ll also give some pointers on how best to visit high-risk areas with the right travel insurance policy.
What is a global conflict?
Global conflicts have been less fatal than the outbreak of World Wars observed in the 20th century. Fewer people have died due to a global conflict. Yet, they still occur in places we may assume are safe. Today, they’re often between domestic groups, competitive political militias, or criminal, international terrorist groups, rather than two hostile countries. However, their repercussions can have a ripple effect.
Examples of global conflicts that affect the travel industry:
1. Warfare and wartime acts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war have made these countries unavailable. Plus, airlines have had to reroute across Eastern Europe due to the closure of the Russian airspace. This has made our airports busier and journeys more complex.
2. Military issues across borders can decrease supplies and staff in the travel and hospitality industries, resulting in a loss of skilled labour and inadequate customer service.
3. Organised crime including extreme violence against police, women, journalists, or migrants, by armed gangs. These crimes encourage accommodation providers to invest more in security. So, surveillance systems and extra staff are paid for to increase our safety. An increase in these operational costs will lead to higher customer costs.
4. Unforeseen violent, political extremist attacks due to political instability or terror may cause local law enforcement to be reactive, causing unexpected injuries to passers-by.
5. Targeted cyber hacks, data hacks and ransomware organised by small groups or individuals can target airport control towers power plants and healthcare organisations. These actions can disrupt services that we need in emergencies.
What global conflicts are happening now?
A few major conflicts are being televised across the world including the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war. However, conflicts in the Middle East continue. Looking further east, an increase in military along the China–India border shows no signs of halting either. Conflicts occur in popular holiday destinations too. Most are being monitored but are rarely mentioned in the media. These destinations are on the International Crisis Group website.
Where are current conflicts being monitored?
Cyprus
Since 1976, Cyprus has been a divided island. On either side of the ‘Green Line’ (a cease-fire line) tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots remain. To this day the British government doesn’t acknowledge the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ either. Due to the tension, political demonstrations and arbitrary terrorist attacks can’t be ruled out.
Egypt
South Sinai in Egypt has been impacted by the Israeli war in Gaza politically and economically Egypt is in the middle of a foreign exchange crisis while fighting the effects of high inflation. Security is unstable in the Western Desert, west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta where Israel’s military operations have the potential to push Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula. As a result, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all but essential travel in the west of Egypt.
Turkey
You may have many reasons to visit Turkey. However, the southeast of the country – 10km from the Syrian border – is highly volatile and should be avoided. Throughout Turkey, there’s a threat of fighting from Kurdistan Workers’ Party militants too. Also, the country is host to over four million refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Syria.
To find out whether a country is safe to visit, or risks conflict always visit the FCDO website for help and up-to-date travel advice before booking your trip. You can also check out the Crisis Group website or global conflict tracker to view all the countries that are being monitored across the world.
What travel insurance covers if a global conflict disrupts your trip
Wherever the risk of a global conflict and whatever it may be, each makes an underwriter question what cover can be provided if someone wants/needs to go there. Global conflicts and geopolitics affect travel insurance. So, most standard travel insurance policies won’t cover high-level risks in response to conflict. These risks are more likely to occur in unsettled countries. However, our policy does provide cover for some high-level travel risks as long as you’re not intending to travel against the advice of the FCDO.
What cover does Free Spirit provide for global conflicts?
Cover for travel risks
Free Spirit Travel Insurance provides cover for hijack/kidnap up to £2,500 (£100 per 24 hours), with a Super or Super-Duper Policy. Furthermore, cover for Emergency Medical and Associated Expenses is provided on both policies up to £10,000,000.
Cover for extended journey disruption
If a global conflict occurs and disrupts your journey a Free Spirit Super Duper Policy will provide cover if the following happens:
• If an airport, port, or airspace you’re travelling from/through is closed for more than 24 hours from the date and time of departure. That causes delayed departure. Or if it’s cancelled and no alternative flight or transport can be provided after 24 hours of delay.
• When a flight is diverted or re-directed after take-off.
• When boarding is denied, and no other suitable alternative flight can be provided within 12 hours.
Cover for cancellation
With a Free Spirit Policy up to £3,000 (with Super cover) and up to £6,000 (with Super Duper cover) of cover will be provided for cancellation.
Read all the policy documents in full for more details.
Please note: If you choose to visit a destination/area that the FCDO ‘advises against all travel to’, such as Russia there wouldn’t be any cover in place on this policy. Free Spirit will provide the cover highlighted above only if someone unknowingly gets caught up in unrest. If you have questions about our policies and cover levels speak with our friendly team.
Note: Whatever the destination, cover won’t be provided if you want to cancel a trip because you don’t want to travel. This is known as ‘disinclination to travel’.
Cover for terrorism
The number of insurers providing terrorism insurance is disappearing.
Act of terrorism means an act, including but not limited to the use of force or violence and/or the threat thereof, of any person or group(s) of persons, whether acting alone or on behalf of or in connection with any organisation(s) or government(s), committed for political, religious, ideological or similar purposes including the intention to influence any government and/or to put the public, or any section of the public, in fear.
There are exclusions on a Freespirit policy around terrorism as follows:
9) war, act of terrorism, nuclear risks, hostilities (whether war be declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, military or usurped power, civil commotion, confiscation or nationalisation or requisition or destruction of or damage to property by or under the order of any government, public or local authority.
This exclusion shall not apply to claims under Section B1 – Emergency Medical & Associated Expenses providing: – the act of terrorism is not of a nuclear nature; and – at the time of travel you are not travelling to a country or area that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office lists as a place which they either advise against all travel to or all travel on holiday.
It’s important to note that travel insurance will only cover you if unexpected issues occur. So, if you travel to an area for which there is a known risk of war/conflict, your policy may not cover you.
If you still want to venture to a country in conflict the next question to ask yourself is: Is travel essential?
Cover For Travel Against Government Advice
Often, travel insurance is invalid if the government advises UK travellers against travel to a country or region in conflict. However, if you need to reach someone who’s in a country or region in conflict, we can suggest travel insurance specialists ‘battleface’ who offer cover to many destinations, regardless of what is on the FCDO website. This ‘package’ policy provides various options and cover levels.
Sometimes, people visit a high-risk country as part of their job. For instance, journalists capture and cover the actions of terrorist groups as they arise in high-risk countries. In this context, a specialist travel insurance policy for high-risk areas will be required because travel to high-risk destinations is not covered by a standard travel insurance policy.
Travel, with confidence if a global conflict arises
We hope we’ve provided you with an understanding of what a global conflict is. For over 20 years, Free Spirit’s mission has been to give travellers the freedom to travel with confidence.
Get in touch with our team of travel insurance specialists. For more details about how Free Spirit provides cover for a range of unforeseen risks or for another specialist travel insurance product contact our friendly team of experts.
