What do the recent floods in West Sumatra, the current riots in New Caledonia and the 2023 earthquake in Morocco have in common?
events, and if you happened to be in any of those countries when trouble visits, your travel operator and your insurer might not gallop to your aid. Force majeure is an event that happens outside the control of you or your travel operator. It includes terrorist activity, war, civil unrest, industrial disputes, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters or any other event that cannot be predicted but which could disrupt your trip.
When you book a flight with an airline, book a hotel room or sign up for a tour, you agree to those T&Cs and Australian common law does not generally override force majeure clauses. Some travel insurance policies offer limited coverage for certain categories of force majeure events, such as severe storms and natural disasters.
However, most insurers exclude acts of war, political unrest and acts of terrorism in their product disclosure statement . If you’re travelling on a tour and the force majeure event happens before the trip begins, the operator may cancel the trip and offer a refund minus any unrecoverable costs.If you’re in the danger zone, how your travel operator responds to a force majeure event depends on how much they value your loyalty, and possibly how much you paid for your tour.
Others will pull out all stops to remove you from the affected zone and get you somewhere safe. The operator may also decide the risk caused by the force majeure event is manageable, and therefore the tour will go ahead. If you decide to pull out, you’re subject to whatever cancellation penalties the operator might apply according to their T&Cs.is a Sydney-based writer and photographer who has been writing travel articles since 1982. Michael is Traveller's resident Tripologist, answering your travel questions and offering expert tips and advice.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Flash floods and cold lava flow hit Indonesia’s Sumatra island, killing at least 15 peopleHeavy rains and torrents of cold lava and mud flowing down a volcano&x27;s slopes on Indonesia’s Sumatra island triggered flash floods that killed at least 15 people and injured several others, officials said on Sunday.
Read more »
Cold lava mudslides kill dozens as flash floods hit Indonesian island of SumatraCold lava — a mixture of volcanic material and pebbles — flows down the slopes of active volcano Mount Marapi, destroying houses and cutting roads.
Read more »
Dozens killed in cold lava mudslides on Indonesian island of SumatraNearly 20 missing after monsoon rains trigger flash floods, sending torrents of volcanic material and mud down slopes of Mount Merapi volcano
Read more »
Cloud seeding planned in response to deadly floods and landslides in IndonesiaAt least 67 people have been killed in flash floods and landslides in West Sumatra, prompting authorities to deploy a method typically used to fuel rainfall in drought-stricken areas.
Read more »
One man killed in clash with Israeli troops during 'Nakba Day' commemorations in the West BankOne man has been killed by Israeli troops and another has been injured as Palestinians gathered to commemorate 'Nakba Day' in the West Bank.
Read more »
Luxury home in ‘Mosman of the inner west’ sells for $6.45 millionThe high-end house with its own home cinema and underground car park was a mortgagee-in-possession auction.
Read more »