What to expect from the Allianz-TIC merger

On Nov. 3, 2015, travel professionals will have access to a whole new level of insurance service, but they’ll barely notice the difference.

According to Karen Cullen, director of business development, TIC Travel Insurance – soon to become Allianz Global Assistance (AGA) – that’s precisely the point.

“Our goal is to make this as seamless as possible for our partners,” Cullen told PAX from the company’s office in downtown Toronto. “They’ll get a stack of new brochures, and we’ll be taking care of the rest. Nothing else in their lives should have to change.”

The two companies announced their plan to merge their travel insurance operations in Canada late last September, completing the transaction in January with the intention to move forward as one brand beginning in November.

AGA provides coverage to more than eight million Canadians, and as the result of the merger, has become the second-largest travel insurance provider in the country, selling solely through travel agents, tour operators and other sectors in the travel trade to offer customized coverage.

The brand maintains that there has been no changes to policies purchased through TIC or AGA, and no interruption in service to clients; Cullen pointed out that the coming together of the two businesses will instead provide partners with a more well-rounded insurance service.

“Up to now, [TIC] has offered a real boutique experience,” she explained, “and on the back-end, we have that worldwide presence of Allianz.”

AGA partners will be able to enjoy the best of both worlds moving forward, in addition to the same support-focused presence clients have come to expect,  including trip cancellation coverage (made more flexible by AGA’s new ‘All-Inclusive Plus’ program), as well as capital accident, corporate travel and medical insurance.

Custom-designed coverage plans are a service Cullen says comes from AGA’s objective of building a strong representation in the travel agent channel of the industry – one of the reasons they strategically avoid selling consumer-direct.

“We can really get creative with [our policies] since we’re not selling a mass product,” she elaborates. “If the product we offer doesn’t fit the needs of an agent, we are open to creating [one] for them that will.”

It’s a different kind of relationship-building, one geared toward servicing agents and operators in a way that enhances their sphere as travel experts and adds value to their business.

“What we try to bring to them is an understanding of how to sell and position the product,” Cullen continues. “We’re all about helping [travel professionals], as sales people, to build their revenue base.”

The insurance brand achieves this through various awareness initiatives, such as online learning programs like Allianz Academy, and webinars to enhance agents’ product knowledge. One resource in particular is AGA’s ‘Let’s Talk’ program; where agents can call in with a subject of the week, and learn soft selling and enhanced communication techniques.

“We take it beyond product training,” Cullen explains. “We really try to teach our partners how to get more insurance sales. That’s important for travel agents as they are niching themselves against an online market.”

It’s also important as the industry becomes more specialty-focused; with travellers wanting personalized itineraries or requiring more unique types of coverage, being able to provide a comprehensive service covering all aspects of a client’s trip is what gives agents – big or small – an edge.

“Everything that we can do for the traveller is really what we’re doing for a travel agent or travel agency,” Cullen says. “And when people have to use the insurance [they’ve purchased], they never begrudge it.”