Skift Take
With continued uncertainty, destinations, airlines, and hotels are offering free or low-cost Covid medical coverage to boost consumer confidence. That's all great. But it will take additional innovative safety measures to attract tourists in large numbers for the upcoming winter season, as travel remains a risky proposition.
A month after mid-pandemic presidential elections ushered in a leader from the opposing political party, the Dominican Republic launched a “Plan for the Responsible Recovery of Tourism.” An idea of incoming President Luis Abinader, a former hotelier, the most surprising part of the $28 million package — implemented on September 15 through BanReservas — is the government’s offer of free emergency medical coverage for every tourist who vacations in the Dominican Republic through December 31, 2020.
Under this “traveler assistance plan,” the first of its kind in the Caribbean region, visitors under the age of 85 staying at a resort in the Dominican Republic will have their expenses covered in case of a medical emergency during their stay, whether Covid related or not, excluding pre-existing conditions and negligent acts.
In addition, quarantine lodging, airfare, doctor consultations, and medical transfers are included, among other potential expenses. Tourists receive their certificates at check-in, including contact information for a bilingual call center handling claims and medical assistance requests.
The Dominican Republic isn’t the first destination offering to cover tourists’ medical bills to attract them. Spain’s Canary Islands, open to
