According to Statistics Canada, Canadians are spending 11.1% more on domestic tourism since last September. With summer here, this upward trend shows no sign of slowing. In fact, domestic tourism accounts for about 80% of all tourism spending in Canada, and projections for 2025 estimated that domestic visitor spending would approach $104 billion. For travel insurance professionals, this growth represents a concrete opportunity: letting your clients know that their provincial health plan doesn't follow them from one province to another.
What provincial plans don't cover
Many Canadians believe their provincial health plan fully protects them when they leave their home province. It doesn't. Provincial plans leave significant gaps that can lead to unexpected expenses. When your clients travel outside their home province, their provincial coverage generally does not include:
- Ambulance services — ground, air and water
- Transporting a family member to the patient's bedside
- Renting or buying essential medical equipment (crutches, wheelchairs, etc.)
- Prescription drugs
- Dental care
- Accommodation and meal costs if a travel companion is hospitalized on the scheduled return date
- Escorting dependent children home when the insured is hospitalized
- Return of the vehicle
TuGo's emergency medical insurance is designed precisely to fill these gaps. Available for all ages as a single-trip or annual multi-trip policy, this coverage is ideal for Canadian residents travelling outside their home province. Policies offer up to $10 million CAD per person for an unexpected medical emergency, with special rates for travel within Canada.
Complete coverage that goes everywhere with you
TuGo's emergency medical insurance covers the costs that provincial plans don't reimburse. Coverage includes hospitalization and treatment of medical emergencies, ambulance services (ground, air and water), diagnostic tests, prescription drugs, essential medical supplies such as crutches, emergency dental care and vision care.
Beyond medical care, the plan includes practical support services: emergency air transport (with prior approval), evacuation from remote areas, transport of family members to the patient's bedside, the return of dependent children, the return of travel companions, and even the return of the vehicle. Insureds also have access to TuGo telemedicine, offering professional medical advice without needing a clinic visit.
Non-medical travel insurance for domestic trips
Medical coverage is only part of the equation. Non-medical travel insurance adds an extra layer of protection, and trip interruption insurance is particularly valuable for domestic travel. This affordable coverage protects your clients from the moment they leave home, helping to cover the costs if a trip is unexpectedly interrupted.
The real cost of travelling without insurance: Samantha's story
The risks of travelling without extra insurance aren't theoretical. Take Samantha's example. This 21-year-old left British Columbia for Toronto to visit friends. During her stay, she tripped and fell down a staircase, suffering serious head trauma, including multiple skull fractures. Doctors performed emergency brain surgery, and Samantha spent 47 days in hospital before being flown by air ambulance to British Columbia for ongoing rehabilitation.
The provincial health plan covered her hospital stay. It did not cover the air ambulance that brought her back to British Columbia, nor her parents' travel and accommodation costs to be at her bedside. Fortunately, Samantha had taken out TuGo's emergency medical insurance, which covered more than $82,000 in expenses.
Based on a real claim, with personal details changed to protect privacy.
Protect your clients this summer
With domestic tourism spending on the rise and Canadians exploring more of their own country, the need for interprovincial travel insurance has never been clearer. TuGo's emergency medical insurance offers up to $10 million in coverage, special rates for domestic travel within Canada, and 24/7 emergency assistance — so that a medical emergency doesn't turn into a financial disaster.