PRESS RELEASE
International Assistance Group collaborates with Sitata to help partners navigate post-COVID travel
Paris, France, November 4th, 2021 – International Assistance Group is excited to announce a technology collaboration with Sitata that will support our global alliance’s network of partners to plan ahead for world-wide COVID-19 travel restrictions and entry requirements.
International Assistance Group (IAG), the world’s largest alliance of independent assistance companies, has embedded Sitata’s COVID-19 Entry Requirement map widget within its proprietary worldwide operational database, Globus.
The collaboration strengthens the power of Globus by helping partners navigate the changing COVID-19 travel restrictions and entry requirements in different parts of the world.
“As travel starts to rebound, we’re seeing a huge amount of anxiety from travellers, which can be reduced by helping people understand what is required of them,” said Adam St. John, CEO of Sitata. “Through this initiative, we’re pleased to be supporting IAG and their network of partner organizations around the world as they continue to support the return of travel.”
Through this new mapping tool, International Assistance Group members will be able to search entry requirements based on point of origin, destination, date of travel, nationality, and vaccination status.
Over 14 different entry requirement categories and more than 13 local travel restrictions are summarized including travel bans, COVID-19 test requirements, quarantine situation, vaccination requirements, social distancing, mask mandates, and more. The tool is available across 15 different languages.
International Assistance Group General Manager Louise Heywood said inbound and outbound travel restrictions related to COVID-19 vary widely by country.
“While testing, vaccination and quarantine requirements are common, the details can differ greatly from one country to the next. Every country has its own rules. Through our partnership with Sitata, we can give our partners access to the most current COVID-19 information they need to ensure safe and smooth travel for their customers during the pandemic.
With more than 200 active users, our proprietary Globus database has become a vital resource for IAG partners and providers worldwide. The system provides operational and administrative information of our complete network of partners, correspondents and assistance-related providers to ensure that there is always an expert available to help any traveller, anywhere in the world.
In our industry, having access to the right information at the right time is critical and in many cases, lifesaving. Globus enables our partners to act quickly and confidently to get the best help for their customers, when and where they need it,” Louise said.
Available exclusively to IAG Core Partners, Globus provides access to over 140 partners and correspondents, and more than 230,000 service providers worldwide, from air ambulance, repatriation and roadside assistance services to doctors, dentists and hospitals.
Sitata uses advanced monitoring software powered by machine learning and a global team of analysts to monitor and validate global changes. All travel information is provided in near real-time. By providing up-to-date information, International Assistance Group and their members will know what travellers need at every stage of their journey and help take unnecessary stress out of the travel experience.
Louise said Sitata’s innovative mapping tool adds another layer of actionable, real-time information to Globus and will also improve their partners’ access to COVID-19 testing centres.
“Since the pandemic, we have been steadily growing our network of COVID-19 testing centres to help our partners find the closest centres for their customers needing pre departure or post arrival tests,” she said. “By integrating Sitata intelligence within Globus, we’ve been able to add even more testing centres, to make sure our partners have access to the very latest information to help their customers.”
About Sitata
With headquarters in Kitchener, Canada, Sitata is a global health, safety, and risk management provider. Founded in 2012 by Dr. Ronald St. John, a world-renowned leader in the field of public health and emergency preparedness, the company uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and innovative mobile technologies to keep travelers safe when abroad. Sitata combines technology and services to address a variety of industries including aviation, travel management, travel insurance and assistance, and general travel for business, education, or holidays.
About International Assistance Group
The International Assistance Group is the world’s largest alliance of over 140 independent
assistance companies, service providers, and correspondents dedicated to world-class global
assistance service and cross-border collaboration on behalf of insurers and travellers. We combine our shared global values and collective expertise with local market and cultural knowledge, united by a common desire to help travellers in trouble anywhere, at any time. Together, we deliver high-quality medical, roadside, travel, corporate, security, and home assistance services to business and leisure travellers, as well as expatriates, and large corporations. Our philosophy ‘local partners, global solutions’ underpins our mission, to enable our partners to always deliver world-class assistance, wherever their customers are.