Insurance for travel a must-have

KUALA LUMPUR: All travel agents will have to offer travel insurance to their customers flying overseas by year's end. Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Mohd Khalid Harun said the association had been conducting road shows to brief members on the importance of providing travel insurance.

“Travel insurance is already compulsory for those who are travelling to Mecca to perform the Haj since 1992. Now, we want to make it mandatory for all outbound travels and we hope to achieve this by year's end,” said Mohd Khalid during a press conference after the launch of the MATTA Fair August 2011 yesterday at the Putra World Trade Centre.

It starts now: (From left) AirAsia chief executive officer Azran Osman Rani, Mohd Khalid, Azizan and MATTA Fair organising chairman John Tan at the launch of the MATTA Fair at the Putra World Trade Centre Friday.

The launch was officiated by Tourism Malaysia acting director-general Datuk Azizan Noordin. “We have done several roadshows around Kuala Lumpur and we will go to other states soon. What we want to do is create an awareness among our members on the importance of travel insurance for customers,” Mohd Khalid said. He said the association had so far spoken to no less than 10 insurance companies on the possibility of providing coverage to outbound travellers.

On the MATTA fair, Mohd Khalid remarked that the popular travel fair's reputation had gone beyond Malaysia. “We have more and more tourism organisations from other countries who have set up booths here. Even Mexico and Ecuador are at the fair,” Mohd Khalid said. He said MATTA expected to have an even bigger fair in March next year as the association had plans to hold it at the same time as the International Islamic Travel Conference and Travel Mart. “With the conference and travel mart, it will be a five-day event instead of a three-day event.”

-thestar online.