Retreat Leaders’ Insurance Needs
Retreat Leaders’ Insurance Needs
If you are planning a retreat, you must ensure that both you and your guests are protected from unforeseen events occurring before or during a retreat. If you fail to adequately protect yourself in order to save money, you may find yourself in an expensive litigation scenario with either a retreat guest or supplier. There are many factors outside of your control when hosting a retreat and the following insurance coverage should be considered.
Note: Movement Travel is licensed to sell travel insurance only and we strongly recommend that you speak to an insurance specialist before planning a retreat.
1. Travel Insurance
Now, more than ever travel insurance is extremely important, both for you as the retreat leader, and your guests. Travel insurance protects you and your guests against unforeseen travel related events before and during a retreat. We recommend making the following travel insurance mandatory and including this requirement in your legal agreement with your retreat guests.
- Emergency Medical Insurance
- Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Trip Interruption Insurance
Movement Travel is licensed to sell Manulife Travel Insurance to residents of Ontario and can provide a full summary of the policies available to your guests, including more comprehensive travel insurance coverage, if requested. If you or your guest reside within Canada, but outside of Ontario, we can make a referral to a licensed insurance agent for that province or territory.
2. Professional Liability Insurance
If you are a wellness professional (yoga instructor, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, naturopath, etc.), you (or your business) should already have liability insurance coverage for your specialty. Prior to hosting a retreat, we recommend that you check with your provider to ensure you will be covered in your retreat destination. Many policies only provide coverage for the province or country you reside in, therefore additional coverage may be required.
3. Special Event/General Liability Insurance
In addition to Professional Liability Insurance, you should also consider additional Special Event /General Liability coverage for third party property damage and bodily injury for unforeseen events which may occur outside of your sessions or classes. During a retreat, there is a potential for injuries during other activities that your guests participate in, such as hiking, swimming or local tours. It is also possible that you could be held responsible for damage your guests cause to the venue or property where you are hosting your retreat.
This insurance can be purchased on a retreat-by-retreat basis, and we highly recommend speaking to an insurance specialist before planning a retreat to ensure you (and your business) are protected.
If a guest on your retreat decides to sue you (or your business), for something out of your control, the cost and reputational damage could be substantial. If required, Movement Travel can refer you to an insurance specialist to discuss your retreat specific needs.
If you are planning a retreat and would like to speak to a Movement Travel representative about our Retreat Booking Services and/or your travel insurance needs, please contact us at info@movementtravel.com.
