Murcia Promoting Free COVID Insurance At WTM
The Spanish destination of Murcia will be front and centre at this year’s WTM London, promoting the fact that it is offering visitors free COVID-19 travel insurance.
From July 1, 2021, visitors to the Region of Murcia who stay in regulated tourist accommodation will be able to take advantage of the offer, which covers them in the event of a COVID-19 infection in addition to common illness and accident.
The free policy covers medical and pharmaceutical expenses, transportation and/or repatriation costs, and expenses for any extension of a stay. The coverage is available from July 1, 2021 until June 30, 2022.
The regional government of Murcia has allocated €600,000 to this initiative to boost the perception of Murcia as a safe destination.
The funding is expected to provide coverage for an estimated 900,000 tourists from other regions in Spain and overseas.
Overall, the regional government of Murcia has allocated a budget of €21 million to rebuild its tourism sector and promote holidays to the destination.
Maria Del Mar Martinez Ballester, Director of Promotion at the Tourism Institute of the Region of Murcia, said: “The insurance policy provides security and confidence to visitors in the post-Covid period – and gives our local tourism sector a kickstart after what has been a difficult 18 months for so many.”
She noted that: “We want to highlight this to as many potential visitors as possible so working with WTM London means that we are able to spread the message to our key source markets in the UK and Europe.”
The Director continued: “This insurance initiative is a bold plan to entice more tourists back to Murcia region and support the rapid recovery of our tourism trade – hotels, hostels, campsites, restaurants and many other providers.”
And she observed that: “This is the first time our region has offered free travel insurance to tourists – the impact of COVID-19 has been unprecedented, so we need to be innovative with our solutions to the devastating impact on tourism.”
The Director also pointed out that the Murcia region suffered a 77% overall drop in tourist numbers amid the COVID crisis, so the insurance initiative, along with other marketing promotions, will play a crucial role in rebuilding the tourism economy.
Go to https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/covid_travel_insurance/ for more.
WTM London physical event will take place at ExCeL London from Nov. 1 to Nov. 3, 2021 and will be followed by WTM Virtual from Nov. 8 to Nov. 9, 2021. Registration opens in July.
PHOTO CAPTION
Panoramic aerial view of the Mediterranean coastal city of Cartagena in Spain.
