AXA – Global Healthcare, leading provider of international health insurance, has today launched a global delivery service of care packages for homesick expats. UK nationals living overseas can now use the service, which has an intricate network of local suppliers throughout Great Britain, to order international deliveries of classic British favourites such as fish and chips, traditional Welsh rarebit and various brands of tea.
In a study* asking expats about the most challenging parts of starting a new life overseas, AXA – Global Healthcare found that the hardest part for nearly one-in-five was acclimatising to a different culture. When asked to nominate the one thing that they missed most from their home country, two thirds of expats (67 per cent) are most likely to miss their family, followed by friends (15 per cent) and then food (13 per cent).
Tom Wilkinson, CEO of AXA – Global Healthcare, commented: “Settling in comfortably to a new life abroad is extremely important for the success of an international assignment, as it’s very common to feel like a fish out of water and miss the comforts of home. Our hope is that by helping to bridge this gap, we can further support our customers in not only succeeding but in enjoying their life overseas.”
Peter Fisher, a British expat based in Dubai, commented: “My family and I love our new life overseas, and while we enjoy experiencing a different culture to that which we were used to in the UK, there are times when you do just miss the tastes of home. The fact that we can now order fish and chips through AXA, just as if we were back in Brighton, has made such a difference in times when we might otherwise have felt a little homesick.”
While the service is initially only available for British expats, AXA – Global Healthcare hopes to extend the offering to customers of other nationalities if it is a success. Possible extensions may include the delivery of bratwurst to German expats, camembert to French expats or nasi lemak to Malaysian expats.
Tom Wilkinson concluded: “The difference that a few home comforts can make to morale when you’re working in another country is remarkable. Our own research shows adapting to life in a new country can be a real challenge, and for those that might be struggling, we hope that this service will help to make that change more manageable.”