Bun Fights - Guest Insurance - Hosts providing travel insurance for guests

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

As Hosts we know the importance that guest insurance could play for us to varying levels.

We know that it has been called for on numerous occasions by numerous Hosts, but the call seems to fall on deaf ears and nothing ever gets done about it, so here, I'd like to discuss the possibility of Hosts providing travel insurance for guests.

These are early thoughts, but the envelope contains the provision of insurance to guests, who should they be faced with some unavoidable situation, they wouldn't need to concoct stories about in order to extrapolate themselves from paying. Aeroplane and travel delays or mishaps, family dying or a party member being infected by some new unknown disease, or some other previously not thought about calamity...

There are obvious restrictions on  insurance, one I think would be booking insurance prior to booking or travel. I think the ability of arranging insurance prior to booking might be a tough one to overcome for hosts but (since most regularly in (my) case, guests just book, then I know about it. In pre-discussion bookings maybe this could be easier?) with an understanding insurance company, it wouldn't be an impossibility.

Heck, we have the tools; Additional fees, and Booking amendments... come to mind.

So here's a thought... Benefit/Benefit...

"Hi Guest, You know, it would be really a good idea to have travel insurance, not just for this trip to our place but for all year round travel! Look, this is such a good idea for you that we've arranged special insurance for you available here: <link to insurance>. We normally can claim commission for this but we think its such a good idea, we've waived our booking commission so that you get this at the cheapest possible rate. It lasts for a whole year too, so you can use it wherever you go and it would be great to be assured that whatever problem you might encounter might be covered  to help you out of any jamb. Travel safe."

Do we not take a 'cut' in this? No. Might we take a cut in the renewal fees? Possibly..

What might happen?  I'm guessing... But with affiliate marketing schemes providing sometimes 50% of initial purchase value - it wouldn't be long before the commercial section of Airbnb suddenly thought it was a terrific idea, wondered why they had never thought of it before and wanted to do it themselves.

I invite your thoughts, good ideas, potential problems, known restrictions and "$h1t lets just do this "!

[Anonymous]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0  Forced? Victimized? Who is forcing you to rent your property short-term? 

We're likely at the beginning of a severe economic event that's likely to impact everyone in the travel industry and many others for an unknowable amount of time. If you're earnestly trying to game a way to not be a victim in circumstances of this magnitude while still carrying on business as usual, you're probably rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Anonymous 

This thread is not a knee jerk reaction to any threat of a pandemic virus or its consequences, nor is it any attempt to mitigate any associated losses. There was life before, and there will be after. What I'm looking into is that abuse of hosts - hence - victimisation that @Susan17 clearly pointed out. We're not helpless to help ourselves and with the many reoccurring fake claims of ES (not pandemic related), rather than wait to to be affected and claim exploitation, I'd just rather do something. Rearranging deck chairs is just not my thing, I'd rather have had them glued down.