Traveling before and after travel’s high seasons, months known as “shoulder seasons,” can mean great savings for your clients, fewer crowds and friendlier locals. Different destinations experience their high seasons at varying times of year so before setting their hearts on a particular destination for this fall’s shoulder season— typically taking place between September and October—your clients are wise to do a little homework.

Here’s a list of some great fall shoulder season destinations and why travel insurance may come in handy when traveling there:

Hawaii and Getting There

After Labor Day, Hawaii is free from tourist-packed crowds and peak-season flight and lodging prices. While resorts and beaches are quieter in September and October, the weather remains in the 80’s and sunny—making it a perfect time to enjoy the islands’ beaches, wildlife and cultural traditions.

Why Your Clients Might Need Travel Insurance: Traveling to Hawaii is no small endeavor, especially if your clients are flying from the East Coast where they’re looking at a minimum of one connection and anywhere from 13 hours to a full day’s trek to get to the islands. Even flights from the West Coast will take no less than approximately six hours. A lot can go wrong during that time traveling cross-country or over the Pacific, including covered events like flight delays and cancellations due to bad weather that might force your clients to delay, interrupt or even cancel their plans. Travel insurance can help with those unexpected losses.

The Caribbean and Hurricane Season

The Caribbean offers a variety of attractive destinations throughout the fall shoulder season and beyond. The region known for its dream resorts, luxury cruises, stunning waters and rich heritage reaches its peak season in winter, typically January through March, so travelers tend to find the best prices in the preceding months. The downside of deserted beaches (and one way to explain them): hurricane season extends through the end of November in the Caribbean. Fortunately some of the southern islands such as Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Barbados, Grenada and Tobago rarely experience a hurricane making them both affordable and less risky destinations.

Why Your Clients Might Need Travel Insurance: Though storms can be rare and hurricanes tend to avoid certain parts of the Caribbean, your clients are nonetheless accepting a certain degree of risk when booking fall travel there—especially if heading to an island located in the hurricane belt. Travel insurance can help travelers recoup their trip investment if they have to cancel or interrupt their plans due to a mandatory hurricane evacuation or a flight delay or cancellation due to bad weather. See a Description of Coverage/Policy for event restrictions and complete details.

Mexico and Health Insurance

Fall shoulder season in Mexico coincides with the end of the country’s rainy season, peak hurricane season, some of the country’s quietest months and one of the most affordable times of year to visit. Travelers will find ample hotel occupancy at low costs and the rainy season’s showers are generally periodic and short—appearing in the late afternoon and leaving several hours of sun in the day to enjoy the Pacific or Caribbean coastline. For a cultural experience beyond the beaches, book your clients a trip in November when the country hosts a number of festivals including iconic Dia de Los Muertos celebrations.

Why Your Clients Might Need Travel Insurance: While Mexico provides health care to Mexican citizens and legal immigrants through its national system, Insituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, it does not have medical care arrangements with foreign nations. U.S. citizens visiting on vacation are responsible for any medical treatment they might need and often times must pay upfront before they are able to receive care, including emergency care. A number of U.S. citizens have even filed complaints with the US State Department regarding inflated charges from health care facilities near beach resorts. A well-rounded travel protection plan with Medical and Dental coverage, Emergency Assistance and Transportation and 24/7/365 emergency assistance services can help if your clients become sick or injured in Mexico and need help.

Canada and the Great Outdoors

Fall is a lively time for Canadian provinces with several, such as Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City, hosting concerts and festivals throughout the season and fall colors coming into view throughout the country. The favorable exchange rate will further enhance your clients’ shoulder season savings and the peace and quiet of smaller crowds make Canada a great destination if your clients are looking to enjoy the great outdoors. Room rates in Vancouver are rumored to drop by nearly half during this time of year.

Why Your Clients Might Need Travel Insurance: If your clients are looking to get outside and back to nature in Canada this shoulder season, it may be wise to travel with 24/7/365 emergency assistance should they find themselves sick or injured and needing medical assistance in a remote region. One phone call to Generali Global Assistance can get policy holders the help they need at any time.

The Mediterranean and Traveling Abroad

Your clients will find inexpensive airfare and room rates when booking fall travel to the Mediterranean along with a number of enticing destinations. The islands of Crete, Ibiza and Sicily all offer warm, sunny weather despite lower prices. Malta is another affordable and appealing option with free attractions like Calypso Cave and turquoise waters. And don’t forget about Greece this fall—students and summer tourists have gone home by the shoulder season months and the sea is still warm enough to swim in.

Why Your Clients Might Need Travel Insurance: Relative to a trip to Mexico or Canada, your clients that are booking trips abroad are likely amounting higher trip costs and could stand to lose more if a traveling companion or non-traveling family member becomes unexpectedly sick and they have to cancel their plans. This financial risk of cancellation in addition to the U.S. Department of State including getting insured on its pre-departure checklist for international travel for health insurance reasons means those heading to the Mediterranean may benefit greatly from a well-rounded travel insurance plan.

South Africa and Potential Dangers

September sits between Africa’s dry and wet seasons providing travelers with clear and sunny weather, a sparser mosquito population, quieter parks and thinner vegetation—improving your clients’ ability to catch a photo of the continent’s Big Five on wildlife spotting safaris. Safari lodges in South Africa feature lower rates during the fall shoulder season, making it the perfect time of year to plan a trip.

Why Your Clients Might Need Travel Insurance: Although known as a potentially dangerous destination, most of South Africa’s crime takes place in poorer, rural areas where tourists rarely travel and are rarely targeted. None the less, some travelers may find peace of mind with a travel insurance plan that can provide emergency assistance, identity theft resolution services and coverage for cancellations and interruptions due to a theft of passports or visas or even terrorist acts. Emergency assistance and transportation coverage may also provide peace of mind should travelers require medical treatment and transportation from a more remote part of the country to one of South Africa’s urban centers offering first-world medical care.

Knowing these common reasons for buying travel insurance, your clients are wise to consider their options before heading to one of these popular fall shoulder season destinations. Don’t forget to offer them CSA Travel Protection—your dedicated partner and a trusted provider of travel insurance and assistance services for over 25 years.

Travel insurance plans are administered by Customized Services Administrators, Inc., CA Lic. No. 821931, located in San Diego, CA and doing business as Generali Global Assistance and Insurance Services. Plans are available to residents of the U.S. but may not be available in all jurisdictions. Benefits and services are described on a general basis; certain conditions and exclusions apply. Travel Retailers may not be licensed to sell insurance, in all states, and are not authorized to answer technical questions about the benefits, exclusions, and conditions of this insurance and cannot evaluate the adequacy of your existing insurance. This plan provides insurance coverage for your trip that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. The purchase of this plan is not required in order to purchase any other travel product or service offered to you by your travel retailers. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker. This notice provides general information on Generali Global Assistance’s products and services only. The information contained herein is not part of an insurance policy and may not be used to modify any insurance policy that might be issued. In the event the actual policy forms are inconsistent with any information provided herein, the language of the policy forms shall govern.

Travel insurance plans are underwritten by: Generali U.S. Branch, New York, NY; NAIC # 11231. Generali US Branch operates under the following names: Generali Assicurazioni Generali S.P.A. (U.S. Branch) in California, Assicurazioni Generali – U.S. Branch in Colorado, Generali U.S. Branch DBA The General Insurance Company of Trieste & Venice in Oregon, and The General Insurance Company of Trieste and Venice – U.S. Branch in Virginia. Generali US Branch is admitted or licensed to do business in all states and the District of Columbia.

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