The Buzz on the 2018 Winter Olympics

Image courtesy of olympic.org

With the opening ceremony on February ninth drawing closer, all eyes are on PyeongChang, South Korea, as the city prepares to host the 23rd Winter Olympics. NBC will broadcast the games live on TV and online.

The games are in South Korea, but North Korea has drawn attention in the headlines as tensions increase between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump. Although they don’t expect to use it, The British Olympic Association said last month that it has an evacuation plan and The U.S. Olympic Committee remains in close contact with the State Department.

In an article for USA Today, USOC vice president of sport performance Kelly Skinner stated, “Every Games environment brings about unique challenges, and we have some tremendous partners in the State Department that can help us prepare. Team USA’s preparations continue in earnest. We will make sure that the athletes and the staff are safe when we’re in Korea”.

PyeongChang is about 60 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. In reference to a CNN article, the PyeongChang resort has changed its name for the Games, Capitalizing the C for the first time to avoid any possible confusion with North Korea’s capital Pyongyang.

Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics in 1988, making the 2018 Winter Olympics the second Olympic Games held in South Korea. The Games are just the beginning of a series of prestigious sporting events to be held in Asia over the next four years: Tokyo is hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics and Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Competition and non-competition venues have been completed, including a high-speed rail connecting PyeongChang to Incheon Airport in Seoul, construction costs estimated at $3.7 billion. The 80 mile journey by train will take about 90 minutes. Another one of the six new venues built for the Games is a $78 million stadium with a 50,000 capacity; the structure will host the opening and closing ceremonies.

Athletes will compete for a record 102 gold medals in 15 disciplines. Four events will be making their Winter Olympic Debuts, including Big Air Snowboarding: competitors performing tricks after launching from huge jumps. The event is said to give the Games a youthful vibe. Other classic events include ski jumping, cross-country skiing, figure skating, and speed skating.

According to the official Olympic website, the vision for the 2018 games is to offer the Olympic Movement and the winter sports world New Horizons: a legacy of new growth and potential that has never been seen. The unique stage on which the world’s best athletes can achieve superior performances is said to be one of the most compact in Olympic history. The combination of PyeongChang’s strategic position in Asia and its access to a young and rapidly growing youth market will without a doubt expose new generations of potential athletes to the power and excitement of winter sport.

Planning on attending the Winter Olympics? TravelersAlly will make your trip a breeze.

 

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Top Five Reasons Why Your Travel Insurance Claim May be Denied

Know what your coverage is BEFORE, so you aren’t surprised DURING or AFTER your trip!

Before buying insurance, it is crucial for consumers to understand what it does and does not cover. Do not just assume that you are inevitably covered for anything that goes wrong. Make sure that any specific concerns you have are covered by your policy prior to purchase.

Misinterpretation of a policy can lead to an automatic denial when the time comes to file a claim. It is essential to understand the common reasons claims are denied so you can give yourself the best chance of getting your claim approved.

Why a travel insurance claim may be denied:

  1. Doesn’t Cover Inconveniences – Or if certain planned activities don’t work out: trip must be cancelled, cut short, or delayed by a circumstance listed in the policy. (know the difference between inconvenience and interruption)
  2. May Not Be Eligible – Consumers sometimes purchase without first knowing if they are eligible for the coverage they want. If the policy was purchased after issues preventing the trip have risen, those issues will not be covered by the policy.

If a traveler is already too sick to travel upon purchasing the policy, any claim relating to that illness will be regularly denied.

  1. No Receipts – simple lack of documentation (essential to prove in documentation that you sustained the expenses you are claiming) credit card statements and the bank can prove that the payments you are claiming for were made, but the process is a lot faster if receipts are kept.
  2. Pre-certification – some expenses may not be covered because the proper procedures that the insurance company has stated were not followed. In some plans, benefits can be reduced by 50% if a treatment is not pre-certified.

If an individual falls ill they will simply return home and expect all expenses to be covered because they have “travel insurance”, but transportation must be approved and coordinated by the insurance company which is part of pre-certification.

  1. New Claims Not Covered Under Continuation of Coverage – Some plans have a benefit of “continuation of coverage” upon returning to their home country for a limited period of time. This benefit applies to an eligible sickness or injury that may need continuing care even after the policy expires. It would not apply to a new claim after the policy expires or if care was never initiated while still outside of your home country while under the coverage.

All too often, we find that most claims are not covered because the appropriate documentation was not provided, and the insurance company cannot complete the claim process. Like any insurance policy, travel insurance doesn’t always pay every claim.

TravelersAlly educates without overwhelming and won’t leave you with any unexpected surprises.

 

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Protecting Local Culture From Tourists

 

Image courtesty of www.telegraph.co.uk

One of the main reasons people travel is to engage in different cultures and experience foreign traditions and pastimes, such experiences are difficult to have when so many travel destinations are overrun with tourists.

It is becoming increasingly harder to find places that have not yet been tainted by tourists because international travel is progressively more accessible. Flight prices are decreasing and prosperity is rising, yet the number of beloved destinations basically remains the same. Another major cause of over tourism is the rapid growth of global middle class.

In many areas, the number of visitors trumps the local population. According to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, the number of tourists has risen from 674 million in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2016, and is predicted to increase to 1.8 billion by 2026.

Over tourism is becoming such an issue that locals are starting to protest:

  • Amsterdam: mayor has prohibited the opening of any new souvenir stores or fast-food restaurants
  • Barcelona: government ban on new vacation homes and hotels
  • Venice: protestors block cruise ships from entering the lagoon to dock
  • Santorini: limiting number of cruise visitors to 8,000 per day

That only covers a few; attractions such as Mount Everest and Machu Picchu are setting limits on the number of visitors and requiring them to be accompanied by a recognized guide. Proposals are starting to be put into place to limit tourists through a reservation system at Zion National Park. Anti-tourism marches are taking place across Europe.

Putting a cap on tourism is an extreme measure and often seen as an absolute last resort for destinations who don’t see any other choice. Barcelona was put in a virtual state of emergency as it was overrun with 10 million travelers by day and 8 million overnight guests in 2016. The repercussion from over tourism threatens to limit growth along the entire spectrum, from restaurants and hotels to airplane manufacturers. The crowds in popular destinations have become so large that they hinder the way of life for locals and ruin the entire tourism experience.

In an article for The Guardian, Taleb Rifai, secretary general for UNWTO, discussed his take on the rapid rise in tourism: “It should not be given up for the sake of mismanagement. Ensuring that tourism is an enriching experience for visitors and hosts alike demands strong, sustainable tourism policies, practices and the engagement of national as well as local governments and administrations, private sector companies, local communities and tourists themselves”.

While there are countless popular tourist attractions that people rave about, there are just as many hidden gems that are completely under the radar. Some of the world’s most beautiful and interesting places are the ones you don’t always hear about.

Business Insider put together a list of unknown places to visit, and I chose my favorites:

  1. Hinatuan River Island of Mindanao, Phillipines
  2. “Crooked Forest” Western Poland
  3. Jiuzhaigou Valley Sichuan, China
  4. Hot Springs of Rotorua New Zealand
  5. Lofoten Islands Norway
  6. Hitachi Seaside Park Ibaraki, Japan
  7. Pangong Tso Lake India and Tibet
  8. Rangiroa French Polynesia
  9. Namaqualand Namibia and South Africa
  10. Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve Wulingyuan, China
  11. Jericoacoara Beach Brazil
  12. Capuchin Crypt Rome, Italy
  13. “The Door to Hell” Derweze, Turkmenistan
  14. Saint Pierre et Miquelon Canada
  15. Salina Turda Transylvania, Romania

Instead of going to the places friends and family expect you to go, venture out of your comfort zone and into the amazing unknown. After all, isn’t that what travel is all about? Keep your adventures protected with Travelers Ally, and watch us for more hidden gems to explore.

 

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