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How do I manage business travel during COVID-19?

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Published on June 22, 2021. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

The advent of the 2019 Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in corporations worldwide becoming vary of what exactly they should do to ensure their business’ stability while concurrently protecting their employee’s health. One of the most pondered over questions relates to business travel and how to go about it. We address this concern by mentioning below everything you need to know in relation to business travel during the 2019 virus outbreak period.

Is Business Travel a Viable option?

Most public vehicles and airlines have updated their hygiene protocols and routines to ensure that regular disinfecting sessions are conducted after every fixed interval (varies depending on the company and mode of transport). Checking the temperature of every individual that sits in these modes of transportation have also become essential. As a result, catching the virus by sitting in an airplane, train or bus has become unlikely. Most airplanes, in specific, are equipped with High Efficiency Particulate Air filters that refresh the air after every few minutes. However, crowded public environments such as airports, bus and train stations are outlets of concern. For this reason, air travel has been restricted unless deemed necessary.

Travel insurance

Investing in travel insurance during such an uncertain time will save you from having to pay for any losses that may arise out of a last minute travel cancellation. Although limited relief is provided to travel insurance holders that are affected by the pandemic, it is still a recommended investment. Insurance companies in India extend travel insurance coverage to those who need to cancel or defer their travel bookings because of an infectious disease. As such, a cancellation due to the pandemic will be compensated partly or fully depending on the terms and conditions of your travel insurance. Emergency hospitalisation or medical treatment expenses incurred as a result of the pandemic will also be covered by the travel insurance. This does not affect your travel situation (domestic or international) as long as the travel insurance was invested in before the Indian government had imposed limitations on travel due to the pandemic. This is because, after these restrictions were set as per the law, insurance companies have had to pay for several travel expenditures and have incurred losses, thereby curbing their flexible travel insurance policies.

If, however, you are planning on investing in travel insurance right now, researching different travel insurance policies and finding one that fits your company’s needs best is recommended. Additionally, reading the pertinent insurance coverage policy in relation to the quarantine period is also recommended. Certain insurances are provided specifically for those companies that cancel their travelling sessions frequently because of the nature of their job and it is suggested to look for travel insurances that have similar policies.

Measures to Take for your Safety

• Reading about travel restrictions in your country before booking a ticket is recommended as these rules are constantly subject to change because of the alarming viral nature of the pandemic. Currently, international flights to and from India are most likely suspended until 30^th July 2021 in most countries.
• Checking the quarantine procedure depending on the nature of your travel before setting out on any excursion is also advocated. Migrant workers have separate quarantine procedures set by the government and are addressed separately on a specific page on the Indian government’s website. Looking into quarantine-approved hotels by the Indian government are also recommended for safe quarantining after you reach your destination. These rules differ based on which country or state in India you wish to travel to or come from.

Conclusion

The 2019 Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the travel industry getting labelled as one of the most volatile industries in India. Business travelling, in specific, has become an area of constant frustration as many employers remain unsure about how to deal with travel restrictions. We have addressed these concerns above.

Disclaimer-  The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.