James Bond battled international espionage at Victoria Harbour, partied at a bar in Tsim Sha Tsui and sipped Dom Perignon with a fetching spy in room 602 of the Peninsula Hotel, famous for its fleet of Rolls-Royce courtesy cars. It’s no surprise Hong Kong is racy enough for Bond, as it’s a melting pot of centuries-old and ultra-modern culture—a city of 7 million steeped in ancient history and sophisticated urbanity.
Your trip to Hong Kong may be a bit less cinematic than Bond’s, but will likely be equally exciting. And, you don’t have to be a secret intelligence officer to know that travel insurance is a smart way to protect the money you’ve put out for your trip as well as your personal belongings.
“Hong Kong is a bustling urban metropolis with towering skyscrapers, colorful street markets, picturesque harbors, fantastic museums and more shopping than you could ever imagine,” says Lisa Cheng, spokesperson with World Nomads, a travel insurance company.
Your trip to Hong Kong may be a significant investment with several flights, expensive hotel stays, tours and excursions, plus transportation within Hong Kong. As you are making arrangements for your bucket-list trip to Hong Kong, you’re likely putting down hefty pre-paid, non-refundable deposits.
As with any trip, and particularly for international travel, it’s smart to buy a robust travel insurance policy to protect yourself financially from unforeseen and unexpected events.
Be sure to look for these coverage types if you’re buying a travel insurance plan for Hong Kong:
- Trip cancellation, trip delay and trip interruption benefits
- Medical expense and emergency medical evacuation coverage
- Baggage loss and personal effects protection
In addition to these important benefits, it’s best to purchase a travel insurance policy within about 15 days of putting the first deposits down on your vacation. An early purchase offers you access to benefits like a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver and provides you the greatest value for trip cancellation benefits.
Cheng says travel insurance isn’t mandatory for U.S. travelers to Hong Kong, but entry requirements could be updated frequently, so it’s important to check the Hong Kong government website for the latest information. Upon arrival, you must have a Covid test done at the airport, conducted by health officials, before you clear immigration.
Here’s how a comprehensive travel insurance policy protects you while you escape to Hong Kong.
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When You Have to Cancel a Hong Kong Trip
Life is what happens while you’re making other plans, and that can be especially true when it comes to dream vacations. Trip cancellation insurance can help make it less of a nightmare if you have to cancel a Hong Kong trip due to an unexpected family emergency or other unexpected event.
For example, if a tree fell on your house during a serious storm and tore a hole in your roof, you would have to call off your trip, but you could be covered by trip cancellation travel insurance for the money you lose.
“Just the cost of long-haul flights to Hong Kong can be pricey—but add in accommodations or a tour package, and it turns into an investment that you don’t want to lose,” explains Cheng. “Trip cancellation coverage can help recover your pre-paid trip expenses if you need to put the brakes on your travel plans for a covered emergency.”
Acceptable reasons for a trip cancellation insurance claim can also include injury, illness or a death of a close family member or travel companion; civil unrest; severe weather; an unexpected job loss; and terrorism. The exact list of acceptable reasons will vary by insurance company, so be sure to check the policy for its list of cancellation reasons.
If you have a reason for canceling that’s not listed, you won’t be able to make a cancellation claim. For example, suppose your son confides that he’s planning to pop the question to his long-time love when you’re scheduled to be in Hong Kong, but he wants you to be there during the proposal. If you decide not to go, standard trip cancellation benefits would not cover this scenario.
Trip cancellation benefits also extend to the cost of activities and tours you’ll miss. If you paid in advance for a Sham Shui Po Foodie Tour to experience a cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style cafe), followed by a traditional pudding shop, Chiu Chow-style restaurant and a handmade-noodle shop, you could file a claim for compensation.
If you want the liberty to cancel a trip regardless of the reason and still be partially reimbursed, consider buying a travel plan that allows you to add “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage. This upgrade will add an average of 50% more to your policy cost, but will allow you to cancel for any reason, as long as you do so at least two days before you’re scheduled to leave. CFAR claims generally provide reimbursement of 50% or 75% percent of trip costs, depending on the policy.
Trip Delay Insurance: Keeping Comfortable Until You Get to Kowloon
If you experience travel delays that are covered by your travel insurance policy, you can file a claim to recoup related expenses you incur. For example, if your connecting flight from Atlanta to San Francisco is canceled due to an emergency at the airport, you can spend the night in a hotel, enjoy dinner and buy some personal care items in order to make your layover a bit more enjoyable before you continue your journey to the Far East. Be sure to save your receipts so that you can file a trip delay claim.
Travel delay insurance also extends to activities you’ll miss because of the delay. If your delay causes you to miss the first night of your pre-paid hotel stay in Kowloon and evening tour of the Yau Ma Tei neighborhood and Temple Street night market, you can file a claim for reimbursement.
Most travel delay insurance plans have a waiting period from six to 12 hours before your benefits kick in. These waiting times vary by company and policy, so read your plan carefully.
“Inclement weather, traffic holdups, demonstrations and other mishaps can throw your trip off course, but trip delay coverage can help you with basic expenses that you wouldn’t have made had you not experienced the inconvenience,” says Cheng at World Nomads. “Trip delay coverage can be particularly useful if you have connecting flights or are tacking on other destinations in Asia to your trip to Hong Kong.”
Hong Kong Cut Short
If you need to cut your trip short due to unforeseen events—such as a serious family medical emergency back home—your trip interruption benefits can cover the cost of your last-minute coach ticket home and transportation to the airport.
Trip interruption travel insurance can also reimburse you if you forfeit prepaid, unused and non-refundable deposits.
For example, if you prepaid for VIP tickets for Aqualuna Symphony of Lights Cruise and a private car service, you can file a claim to receive reimbursement since you won’t be able to go.
Not all reasons are covered under trip interruption coverage. For example, you won’t be covered if you miss your dog, or if you don’t like the food choices in Hong Kong. Check your policy for the list of acceptable trip interruption reasons.
Medical Expenses and Emergency Evacuation Coverage
When traveling internationally, it’s always a good idea to purchase a solid travel insurance policy that includes medical coverage. Your U.S. health insurance might provide little to no coverage when you’re overseas. It’s best to check with your U.S. health insurer to see if your plan offers any global medical coverage. And Medicare is not accepted in Hong Kong.
Your travel medical insurance can pay, up to the policy limits, for treatment-related costs if you become ill or injured during your Hong Kong adventure.
“Maybe you’re doing an urban hike, visiting a nearby fishing village, or spending a morning enjoying dim sum,” says Cheng. “It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing—accidents or illnesses can strike at any time. That’s why emergency medical coverage is a must-pack essential for any trip, with reimbursements for hospital and doctor’s visits, ambulance rides, prescription medicine, and more.”
For example, if while you’re visiting The Big Buddha, a cyclist strikes you and you fall and require stitches, your policy can cover the cost of medical treatment. Your travel insurance company’s 24/7 emergency assistance hotline can also assist with finding an urgent care center, locating a pharmacy and language translation.
Generous travel insurance plans have $500,000 in medical expense insurance, but you can buy less if you feel you don’t need that much.
Unlike 007, if you need a helicopter to pluck you from a serious emergency situation, you’d have to pay for it yourself, unless you have emergency medical evacuation coverage.
For instance, if you’re on an excursion on the remote island of Tung Ping Chau and suffer a heart attack, your travel insurance company can arrange for a medevac to the closest facility to treat your life-threatening condition. Your emergency evacuation insurance can pay for the cost for your airlift, up to your policy limits. It’s wise to ask your travel insurance agent what the average cost is for medevac services for the country you’re visiting, as it can be hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases and can affect the coverage amount you may want.
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Baggage Woes
It can be frustrating, inconvenient and emotionally draining to have your baggage delayed or lost while on an international trip. If your luggage winds up in Shanghai, your travel insurance plan’s baggage loss insurance can cover the cost of lost baggage, the value of your personal possessions, and related expenses if you need to purchase some clothing, shoes, toiletries or other essentials.
The amount your policy will pay out depends on the limits specified under baggage and personal item loss coverage.
Be sure to get a loss report from your airline. You will need this documentation when filing a claim.
Your policy will outline the terms of baggage coverage. For example, it will generally reimburse you for only the depreciated value of items and will contain per-item maximums. It might also provide only secondary coverage for baggage and belongings, which means you first have to make a claim on any other applicable coverage such as homeowners insurance. It’s best not to travel with irreplaceable items, expensive jewelry or family heirlooms.
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Via Forbes Advisor's Website
