Surge in Travel Insurance Claims as Morocco Emerges as Top Distant Destination

In total, 2,274 medical files were opened abroad by Europ Assistance between late June and late August, - an increase of 16% compared to the same period in 2023 - and 1,817 by Touring, an increase of 10%. "Most of the calls related to medical problems came from France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands," Belga reports. At Europ Assistance, Thailand (6%) is the top distant destination. It is followed by the United States (5%), Indonesia (4%) and Morocco (3%).

According to the two companies, there is a clear effect of the heat wave with more cases of infections, gastrointestinal and cardiac problems and dehydration. In terms of technical assistance, the number of files opened by Europ Assistance between late June and late August stands at 7,673, an increase of about 5% compared to 2023, a record year according to the company. At Touring, there were 9,262 technical interventions, an increase of 8%. "This increase is largely due to improvised vacation departures, caused by the bad weather in Belgium, which led to an increased number of car accidents, sometimes serious, due to a lack of preparation," comments Touring.

The causes of the breakdowns are battery problems, tire blowouts, cooling problems and braking problems. Most of the technical calls came from France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Germany, it is specified.