Why Travel Insurance Isn’t About Your Sunglasses

When people think about travel insurance, the first thing that comes to mind is often baggage loss or damage. It’s natural, nobody wants to lose an expensive handbag, watch, or a favorite pair of sunglasses while overseas.

But here’s the catch, most travel insurance policies don’t fully cover high-value personal items. Luxury clothing, designer bags, premium wallets, and especially sunglasses often fall under limited or excluded categories. That means if they’re lost or damaged, you may not be able to claim the full value back.

So what’s travel insurance really for?

At its core, it’s designed to cover serious, life-disrupting events:

• Medical expenses if you fall sick or get injured overseas

• Emergency medical evacuation back home

• Personal liability if you accidentally cause harm or damage abroad

Over the years, insurers have added cosmetic benefits such as trip delays or lost baggage compensation to compete in the market. These are useful, but they’re not critical.

If you travel with luxury items, keep in mind that travel insurance is not a replacement for personal valuables protection. What it does provide is essential coverage for the risks that matter most: your health, your safety, and your responsibility to others when you are far from home.