AIG wins insurance cover for British and American tourists

Corporate News

Jubilee chairman Nizar Juma (left) with the insurer’s CEO Patrick Tumbo when they announced the firm’s results June 10, 2014. FILE PHOTO|NATION 

By Sandra Chao-Blasto

In Summary

Tourists will be charged a premium of Sh5, 700 ($65) for the policy that will cover them up to 21 days of their stay in the country.

AIG Insurance has partnered with tourism industry players at the Coast to provide travel cover for holidaymakers from US, UK and Australia in a move aimed at boosting arrivals from the key source markets.

AIG Kenya hopes to cash in on a gap created after international insurers stopped covering tourists heading to the coastal region after the three states — which account for most of tourists who visit Kenya every year —issued advisories on insecurity.

“The in-bound insurance cover will open up the entire coast including Lamu to ensure tourist traffic flow is maintained by mitigating the insecurity challenge,” AIG Kenya’s chief executive Japh Olende said yesterday during the launch of the cover.

The policy covers medical assistance, emergency, medical repatriation, personal accident, curtailment and loss or damage to personal baggage. Tourists will be charged a premium of Sh5, 700 ($65) for the policy that will cover them up to 21 days of their stay in the country. A holidaymaker is covered up to 8.78 million ($100,000) and a similar amount in medical repatriation.

The Kenya Coast Tourism Association chairman Mohammed Hersi said the cover would enable tourists to visit the country despite the travel warnings. “We are targeting all the 100,000 potential clients who visit Kenya,” he said.