Paid How to quickly and confidently sell travel insurance – your brokerage’s next big opportunity

Canadian Underwriter sat down with Allianz’s Chief Executive Officer Chris Van Kooten and Chief Operating Officer Kyle Sparkman to talk about how the travel insurance provider supports brokers and their clients.

It’s a new era for travel insurance – and with it, a wave of opportunities await brokers who want to quickly and confidently grow their business and protect their clients with sought-after travel coverage.

Research from Allianz Global Assistance (Allianz), a leading travel insurance provider, reveals more Canadians than ever are turning to their brokers for travel insurance and advice. Post-pandemic, travellers have become more risk-aware than ever, and 89% say they plan to buy travel insurance for their next trip, according to Allianz’s Vacation Confidence Study, conducted in November 2022.

Coupled with this soaring demand, widespread staffing shortages and prolonged supply chain issues, continue to make travel more unpredictable. Challenges like flight cancellations and delays have become more common, creating the need for travellers to plan better and seek protection. Yet while Canadians are highly aware of the need for travel insurance, they don’t necessarily understand what coverage is right for them.

That’s why Allianz has evolved its travel insurance solutions to empower brokers with the right tools, data, products, services, and support that brokers need to offer the right protection to their clients — quickly, easily, and confidently.

Through Allianz’s refreshed product suite and new point-of-sale platform, AdvisorMax, brokers can grow their business whilst giving their clients the peace of mind they deserve when travelling.

Doing Business a Broker’s Way
“We understand brokers want to provide their clients with the best protection for their unique journey and become the trusted travel insurance advisor their clients are relying on to explore the world securely,” says Chris Van Kooten, Allianz’s CEO. “Allianz wants to make it easy for brokers to fill this renewed demand and wants to be there for travelling policyholders in the moments that matter most.”

AdvisorMax provides brokers with a modern, stable front-end system that makes the selling process easy, accessible and convenient, Van Kooten adds. “In this digital era of travel insurance, we are providing brokers with a more intuitively simple experience through innovative products, technology and processes, to set them up for success.”

Some of the AdvisorMax platform features that brokers find very useful include:

• Convenient product displays – offering side-by-side comparisons and flexible quoting by category.
• Quick quoting – for all client and product scenarios.
• Simplified medical screening with only three intuitive questions – to drive ease and speed of quotation for outbound Canadian travellers 65 and older.
• Automatic renewal for annual plans – to make it easier to retain clients.
• Sales reporting – for efficient data insights.
• All-in-one convenience – find resources, sales tools, policy wording and news from Allianz right on the platform.

Allianz is also unlocking a wealth of opportunities for broker partnerships with its upcoming introduction of API integration.

“This is a key component in Allianz’s digital transformation strategy, allowing brokers to seamlessly scale their business with a top travel insurance and assistance provider,” says Van Kooten. “The opportunities are endless when it comes to automating processes, streamlining data exchange and accelerating time to market.”

Taking Care of Your Clients Every Step of the Way
While technological investments pave the way for more innovation at Allianz, client-centricity always remains at the heart of what they do, adds Kyle Sparkman, Chief Operations Officer, at Allianz Global Assistance.

“When it comes to taking care of a broker’s clients, Allianz leverages digital solutions to provide a seamless experience across all touchpoints – from point of sale to claims submission,” he says.

“An essential piece of the puzzle is how Allianz is there for travellers when it matters most. In some cases, we are able to help a client in a medical situation virtually, without them even needing to leave their hotel,” Sparkman explains. “When a traveller needs medical assistance, they call Allianz and are asked symptom-specific questions. Allianz’s Guided Care algorithm then determines if they should speak with an Allianz medical professional, or be referred to an emergency room at a hospital within Allianz’s qualified provider network.”

Clients have 24/7 access to a Virtual Care consultation with a live MD – which can go a long way in putting clients at ease for the rest of their trip. “Telemedicine is often a quicker, safer and more convenient option for our clients. For instance, prescriptions can be provided virtually and sent directly to the pharmacy closest to the client’s location, offering exceptional convenience for the client,” Sparkman explains.

“With greater flexibility, ease and an all-round better experience, Allianz is committed to helping our brokers and their clients every step of the way,” Sparkman concludes.

To accelerate your business growth, contact Roger Marcelo.

Learn more about the Allianz advantage.