STEVENS POINT, Wis., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Have you ever booked an idyllic beachfront vacation, only to wind up trapped in an undiscovered quicksand pit? Wrecked your rental car after a rogue pelican leaves a sudden "deposit" on the windshield? Had a rickshaw excursion halted abruptly after the driver suddenly contracts athlete's foot? Travel Guard (www.travelguard.com), the nation's leading provider of travel insurance and assistance service plans, wants to hear your story!

Throughout 2010, Travel Guard will span the U.S. and Canada in search of the "World's Unluckiest Traveler" - the vacationer who has survived a true-life tale of unintentional travel adventure and has the scars to prove it. If you have ever experienced a one-of-a-kind travel travail, been the victim of a startling vacation mishap, or simply been an unwilling participant in a downright strange occurrence during your travels, Travel Guard wants to hear your story. Consumers who share their travel tales in this special promotion will be automatically entered into a year-long contest and drawing for great prizes, including a $10,000 dream vacation and a Flip MinoHD(TM) camcorder. The winner will be determined by popular vote, and in addition, one randomly selected person who votes for the winning entry will also win a dream vacation prize.

Travelers can tell Travel Guard their stories by logging onto www.travelguard.com and uploading a video - or a series of photos - in which the traveler relates his or her travel tale. Each month, Travel Guard will give away two Flip MinoHD(TM) camcorders - one to the entry that receives the most votes, and one to a randomly selected person who votes for the winning entry. At the end of the year, each of the monthly winners will be posted for a final round of voting to decide the winner of the $10,000 ultimate dream vacation.

"Travel mishaps come in all shapes and sizes, and can happen at any time," said Dan McGinnity, Vice President of Travel Guard. "'The World's Unluckiest Traveler' takes a whimsical look at the very real problems travelers face daily, emphasizing that preparation is the best remedy for unanticipated travel difficulties. Travel Guard provides flexible and comprehensive travel coverage and assistance services to satisfy even the 'World's Unluckiest Traveler.'"

About Travel Guard

Travel Guard (www.travelguardworldwide.com) a Chartis company and worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance plans, provides products and services to millions of travelers around the globe. The travel insurance products marketed by Travel Guard in the United States are underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., with its principal place of business in New York, NY. This is only a brief description of the coverages available. The Policy will contain reductions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions. Coverage may not be available in all states.

Chartis is a world leading property-casualty and general insurance organization serving more than 40 million clients in over 160 countries and jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.chartisinsurance.com/.

=A9 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates. The FLIP VIDEO logo, the CISCO logo, FLIP VIDEO, and FLIP MINOHD are trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates.

TRAVEL GUARD'S SPONSORSHIP OF THE WORLD'S UNLUCKIEST TRAVELER CONTEST IS NOT INTENDED TO REPRESENT IN ANY RESPECT THAT TRAVEL GUARD'S INSURANCE PLANS COVER ANY OF THE EVENTS DEPICTED IN ANY SINGLE ENTRY. FOR FULL AND COMPLETE INSURANCE COVERAGE DETAILS, PLEASE CONTACT TRAVEL GUARD DIRECTLY.

Source: Travel Guard

CONTACT: Dan McGinnity, dan.mcginnity@travelguard.com, or Carol Mueller, carol.mueller@travelguard.com, both of Travel Guard, 1-800-826-7791, x14850/13050; or Brian Major, bmajor@mmgmardiks.com, or Erin McKeon, emckeon@mmgmardiks.com, both of MMG Mardiks, +1-212-219-7560 ext. 6764/6767

Web Site: http://www.travelguard.com/