Royal Bank of Canada : Don’t forget to pack PATH on your next trip

TORONTO, August 16, 2017 - If you've ever found yourself off the beaten path while travelling or needed help locating emergency medical assistance in a foreign country - RBC Insurance has launched PATH to help you. PATH is a free mobile app for IOS or Android devices that provides travel insurance clients with the ability to access information they may need during a trip such as travel alerts, stored policy information and even a geolocator so that you can find the nearest doctor or medical facility in an emergency situation.

The need for assistance while traveling is more common than you might think. In fact, according to a recent RBC Insurance travel survey, one in three Canadians (36%) have lived through an uncomfortable situation while travelling, including 14 per cent who have been to a local doctor's office or hospital to be treated for an illness. Nearly one in ten (7%) also needed medical help but didn't know where to go.

'Our idea was to help our clients access emergency medical assistance anywhere in the world and receive up-to-date travel information and advice on the go,' said Stacey Hughes-Brooks, head of Travel, RBC Insurance. 'With the PATH app, RBC Insurance clients are only one click away from finding the help they need while travelling.'

With PATH, travellers can:

• Search their location to find a medical facility for emergency assistance
• Call or email experts directly for emergency medical assistance
• Contact local emergency services
• Access worldwide assistance numbers
• Access up-to-date Government of Canada travel information, advisories and advice
• Input medical information
• Access contact information so they can call RBC Insurance to purchase travel insurance
• Setup and send notification emails to family and friends

Four Students, One Big Idea
Launched in the spring of 2016, the RBC Amplify program took a group of top performing university students from a range of academic disciplines, assembled them in teams of four, and provided them with the opportunity to solve a variety of business and industry challenges. These students brainstormed ideas and developed proof of concepts (POCs) to present to an RBC panel. Seven of the eight POCs were approved for further development. PATH was one concept that was derived from the student program and saw its way through to the production phase. This team of students took a business challenge and developed the groundwork for a mobile iOS and Android app for travel insurance clients.

'RBC Insurance relies on the innovation and creative thinking that comes out of programs such as Amplify. As an organization, we are focused on investing in new technology that puts our clients and their evolving needs first,' adds Hughes-Brooks. 'PATH exemplifies our commitment to providing best-in-class mobile solutions to our clients and becoming a digitally enabled insurer.'

For more information, please contact:
Kiara Famularo, RBC Corporate Communications, 905-816-5583
Greg Skinner, RBC Corporate Communications, 905-606-1425