The new program bundles some good insurance programs that have been around for a while (SCI's gun insurance program, its trophy replacement program and the SCI-endorsed medical evacuation program offered by Medjet) with a brand-new Trip Cancellation Program. It is this latter program that every hunter and outfitter needs to consider, given the drift of world events and the increasing instability of some hunting countries.
Trip cancellation insurance has actually been around for years. A lot of companies sell it. In the fishing travel field, which the parent company of The Hunting Report publishes in, such insurance is very popular. Some fishing agents and outfitters push this insurance hard, requiring clients who don't buy it to sign special waivers indicating they are aware that a cancellation or interruption of their travel plan for any reason will not be cause for a refund. In the hunting field, for some reason, this insurance has not caught on - until now.
Safari Club is to be commended for bringing this coverage to the attention of hunters who travel. We understand some outfitters who have been burned of late by canceling hunters and/or on-the-ground circumstances beyond their control are going to build the cost of this insurance into their hunt prices. Agents who are tired of seeing their commissions disappear for the same reasons are sure to start pushing it as well. The move is not going to be without controversy, however, because it is expensive. We used the calculator available on the above-mentioned web site to get the cost of a Trip Cancellation/Interruption Policy covering a $50,000 hunt in early 2006. The cost that came up was $3,508.........(continued)
