Our trips and travel advisories
The destination(s) included on this trip may be subject to travel advisories as issued by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs. Local conditions can and do change due to weather, natural disasters, political affairs, conflict or otherwise.
Our policy on how we deal with changing circumstances is outlined in our Destination Travel Advisory document which is available here:
Wheel & Anchor Travel Advisory Explainer
Your own risk tolerance
First and foremost, every member must consider their own risk tolerance when it comes to travelling abroad. Every place carries some level of risk.
It is important to note that sometimes advisories are applicable only to certain regions within a destination country and not to areas that we may plan to travel to.
How we monitor
At Wheel & Anchor, we monitor events that may impact the risk of travel both through mainstream media sources, as well as our local contacts. Our primary guide to determining whether a trip may be able to be carried out or not are the aforementioned Canadian government advisories. Generally speaking, we will proceed with any trip, unless the travel advisory level increases to a Level 3 (Avoid all Non Essential Travel) or Level 4 (Avoid All Travel).
If we have to cancel a trip
In terms of what exactly will happen to members’ bookings if and when we are forced to cancel a trip for the above reasons, there is no general policy because every such circumstance is different. The terms & conditions attached to each booking apply.
Our commitment is that neither our members nor we are out-of-pocket in such situations which is why we strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance which provides coverage for most such eventualities. In any event, we adhere to the regulations contained within the Travel Industry Act (Ontario) as administered by TICO when such incidents arise.
If you’re an anxious traveller
If you are an anxious traveller, we strongly recommend that you stick to destinations that have a history of being safer and calmer. There are so many amazing places in the world to visit that we can’t see them all in a lifetime anyway.
Travel advisories and your insurance
Buying insurance early also protects you from "known events." Once a storm, strike, conflict, or government travel advisory is public, insurers generally won't cover losses caused by it for policies bought afterward.
Government travel advisories are a separate issue. If the Government of Canada advises against travel to a destination, your medical coverage for that destination may be limited or void, and cancellation coverage depends on when the advisory was issued relative to when you bought your policy.
You can check current advisories at travel.gc.ca.