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Travel Guard Offers Free Assistance to Families Affected by Tsunami Disaster

America's Leading Travel Insurance and Assistance Provider Helps Survivors and Families of Injured With Medical and Emergency Travel Assistance

Press Release: Travel Guard International
December 31, 2004
STEVENS POINT, WI -- Travel Guard International announced that it will provide emergency travel services and medical assistance services free to survivors and families affected by the devastating tsunamis, which some are calling one of the worst catastrophes in history.

The services Travel Guard is offering those affected include doctor or medical facility referrals, medical evacuation coordination, lost travel document replacement assistance, message relay and emergency travel arrangements, such as airline or hotel reservations. Family members seeking these services for their relatives can call Travel Guard Assist (866-644-6811 or 715-295-1209).

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families and those still waiting to hear from loved ones traveling in the tsunami disaster areas," said John Noel, CEO and founder of Travel Guard International. "We earnestly want to do whatever we can to help, and we urge other companies and individuals to step forward as well."

Noel said that his 24/7 assistance coordinators have been overwhelmed the past few days with calls for assistance from family members of Travel Guard clients traveling in the tsunami affected areas. He said a customer rescued from the raging floods in Phuket was evacuated to a nearby medical facility, and Travel Guard Assist is currently monitoring the medical case as well as arranging for the patient's evacuation back home. Travel Guard Assist is also working with hospitals in India, Thailand and Malaysia to evacuate Travel Guard customers receiving medical treatment.

Noel noted that call volume to Travel Guard Assist has increased over 150 percent due to a number of travel events over the holiday weekend, such as travel problems spawned by a pre-Christmas snowstorm, Comair's computer system going down and the baggage employee sickout in Philadelphia. "We are increasing our staffing over the next week and asking employees to extend their shifts to meet the anticipated increase in calls we expect to receive," Noel said. "We are also notifying the appropriate government agencies in the affected countries that we are standing by to provide help to those in need of our services."

Travel Guard International is the nation's largest provider of travel insurance and assistance services, based in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. More information is available at http://www.travelguard.com .



SOURCE Travel Guard International