MEDICAL EVACUATION INSURANCE NOW A MUST FOR PACKAGE TOURISTS COMING TO RWANDA
(Posted 31st March 2017)
It was confirmed overnight that following changes in the relevant tourism laws and regulations in Rwanda, safari and tour operators now must include an evacuation insurance package for their clients, the cost of which is of course being passed on to the beneficiaries.
The current cost for a two week insurance package, also referred to as ‘subscription‘ – tourists staying longer than 14 days will have to get a second or even third cover – stands at 15 US Dollars and is expected to rise to 20 US Dollars next year.
The cover includes aerial evacuation by Akagera Aviation’s helicopters and hospitals participating are among others the King Faisal Hospital in the capital Kigali.
Said a usually well informed source from Kigali: ‘a valid subscription to an emergency evacuation scheme involving, among others helicopter rescue and evacuation‘ before adding ‘ it is obvious that the cost is shifted to the client. The agreement between Akagera Aviation (the insurance service supplier) and the association of tour operators (RTTA) is that they will be buying vouchers individually, in other words, there won’t be a fixed subscription fee, rather every time a tourist books through the tour operator he will have to also bear the cost of insurance voucher, and then the tour operator will buy the voucher on the behalf of the tourist‘.
It was also confirmed that the law and regulations do not talk about individual travelers at this stage though it is recommended that anyone embarking on a safari across Rwanda should take advantage of this very cost effective insurance cover, just in case.
More information can also be found via www.tourismregulation.rw by following the link to ‘resources‘.
