HCM City travel agents unveiled on June 12 insurance packages for outbound tourists to reassure visitors at a time when A/H1N1 flu is sweeping around the world.


The insurance provides a maximum cover of 50,000 USD for passengers travelling to Europe and 10,000 USD for those going elsewhere, said Vo Anh Tai, director of Saigontourist Company.

Viettravel’s director Nguyen Quoc Ky said his clients would be covered for a maximum of 5,000 USD in case of accident or illness, and 100 USD a day in case of hospitalisation.

The travel agents will also provide passengers regular updates about influenza A/H1N1 breakouts at the destinations, and allow them to cancel tours in case of pandemic warnings.

Their move comes at a time when the number of people cancelling inbound and outbound tours has surged since late May due to A/H1N1 warnings.

Duong Thi Tho, a tourism official in Da Nang, said travel industry workers in the central region, already hit by the current low season, were becoming increasingly worried by the pandemic threat.