A rain-soaked American South means a rain-bloated Mississippi River, but water levels in Europe’s Rhine River have dropped to 18-month lows. As the rivers around the globe rise and fall, destinations are working hard to re-assure tourists and regain ground while tourists are looking to protect their travel dollars.
Some good news: according to the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, New Orleans is safe from flooding related to the overflowing Mississippi due to an extensive water diversion system. When there is flooding on the Mississippi, it’s actually safer to be in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
In the meantime, however, cruise lines along the Rhine River would be happy with a little of the Mississippi overflow. According to a Bloomberg news report, river cruise companies are working to develop contingency plans as a backup in case the water doesn’t rise soon. Tourism isn’t the only industry affected either. Falling water levels have cut barge traffic, which is largely responsible for delivering diesel, jet fuel, and oil. The canal system, runs into Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria.
When environmental situations like this occur, basic trip cancellation coverage can’t help you. It’s best to have ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage with your travel insurance policy to keep your travel costs secure. With this coverage, you can cancel a trip ruined by the lack of water and get up to 100% of your insured trip costs back.
