Spring finally appears to be in the air, and many of us are considering how – and where – to spend the summer.
With international tourism expected to reach 80 to 95 per cent of pre-pandemic levels this year, it’s important to consider the impact on the planet and local communities. A study released by Nature Climate Change estimates that tourism accounts for a hefty eight percent of carbon emissions worldwide; with transport alone accounting for nearly half of these.
Thankfully there are ways you can reduce the impact of your holiday, including choosing a travel insurer that helps to protect the planet and its people as well as you and your family.
Here are our top four:
Naturesave
Travel insurance broker Naturesave donates 10 per cent of the premium you pay to its dedicated charity The Naturesave Trust. The trust provides grants to environmental projects, funds sustainability advice for SMEs and plants a tree for every insurance policy taken out.
Naturesave has a unique no-fly holiday incentive scheme where its staff are encouraged to avoid air travel. All staff are offered up to four days extra paid annual leave (or ‘no fly days’) when they choose to travel overland instead of flying. The firm founded the Climate Perks campaign to promote the initiative to other businesses.
Through its ‘Campaign for Divestment’, the company lobbies the insurance industry to urgently divest from the fossil fuel industries that harm the planet and the people living on it.
Travel insurance is available either as a stand alone option, or as part of Naturesave’s Home Insurance package. The maximum period for any one trip is 60 days, with winter sports included for up to 17 days.
World Nomads
When you buy travel insurance with World Nomads, you have the option to add a ‘micro donation’ to your policy price to help fund a community development project.
World Nomads partners with reputable global charities and non-profit organisations such as Oxfam, Water Aid, Save the Children and Sea Turtle Conservancy to help you give back to the places you travel to. It absorbs the administration costs so that 100 per cent of your donation goes directly to the project of your choice.
Since 2004, the insurer has donated almost £3 million to 260 sustainability projects worldwide. It also has lots of handy articles and a Responsible Travel Guide on its website offering tips on how to be a more sustainable traveler.
World Nomads’ travel insurance policies are underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A. UK Branch, which is fully owned by AXA and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.
Evergreen Insurance Services
Evergreen Insurance partners with Just Travel Cover for travel insurance. It then donate a portion of its commission (up to 25 per cent, depending on how long you’ve been with them) to a wildlife or nature charity of your choice. This makes it an unusual entity in the world of insurance, which is traditionally driven by profit.
The charities spend the money in different ways; rehabilitation of animals, educating people, reducing waste and creating environments for nature to thrive. You can choose where you want your money to go from a panel of 25 organisations.
As well as travel insurance it also offers home, pet, life and gadget policies.
Responsible Travel
