Christine's Blog: Responding to Swine Flu Worries (4/28/09)
Christine advises vacation home owners on how to deal with possible cancellations from travelers worried about swine flu.
Hi Everyone!
I want to take this opportunity in my blog to talk about a hot topic that has many vacation home owners worried: swine flu. Vacation home owners – especially those who host international guests – may be concerned that swine flu travel warnings will cause guests to cancel their U.S. vacations.
What I would do is encourage all of your guests, especially those from outside the U.S., to purchase travel insurance. Traveler's insurance is extremely affordable – depending on the amount of coverage and the ages of the travelers, it typically runs around $50 to $150. My family just purchased it for our upcoming vacation, and the total for the four of us was $126 (on a $6000 trip).
While travel restrictions may be out of your hands, it doesn't mean your business has to suffer. Here are some suggestions on how to avoid losses:
Inform. If you have international guests, I would reach out to them now and remind them that their stay is non-refundable and encourage them to purchase travel insurance.
Entice. I don't believe you can purchase travel insurance for your renters, but you can offer a discount ($25-$50) to help them cover the cost. Just make sure they send a confirmation of the paid policy.
Equip. Give your renters the resources they need. InsureMyTrip.com ( 800-487-4722 ) is one of the best sites I have found. They can quote various companies' policies, and their blog has a special page updated with the latest swine flu info.
UPDATE: (April 29, 8:00 am CST) Upon further investigation, I have found that trip insurance may not cover swine flu when renters decide to cancel their trip because of a travel advisory (though it will cover if the traveler contracts swine flu.) To mitigate, the traveler can opt for a policy which includes a “cancel for any reason” rider policy.
Knowledge is power! Be sure to tell your renters to also purchase the “cancel for any reason” rider.
Happy Renting,
Christine
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Have you had any inquiries or cancellations related to swine flu? How have you handled the situation?
"I had a return tenant call and want to cancel because of the swine flu. As per our rental agreement, I could not as she was only a few weeks away. But on the other hand, I had a return tenant cancel her Disney trip b/c of the swine flu to book with me at our condo this past week. It just showed me how differently people view things. One thinks our condo is safe, the other doesn't." -Shelley, Okaloosa Island, FL (VRBO #57840)
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© Copyright 2009 Christine Karpinski
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