Play safe and buy travel insurance

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The message is simple from ABTA and YourHols – don’t go on holiday without travel insurance. The number of people taking the risk is rising with one in four holidaymakers travelling abroad uninsured.

John de Vial, Head of Financial Protection at ABTA said: “The increase is alarming. In these tough economic times holidaymakers may feel pressure to cut costs but travel insurance is an essential. Now is a popular time to book a holiday and we strongly advise people to buy travel insurance at the same time. We hear too many horror stories of people who have forked out huge sums of money or not got the right treatment because they’ve had an accident abroad and been uninsured.”

Millions are putting themselves at risk of sky high medical bills, with 24 per cent holidaying abroad without insurance last year compared to 20 per cent in 2011. The number of people taking out annual cover – recommended by ABTA as the most cost-effective insurance for people taking more than one trip per year – has also gone down significantly, from 30 per cent in 2011 to 23 per cent.

Men and younger travellers are among the groups most likely to travel uninsured. Men are eight per cent less likely than females to take out insurance and nearly half of 15 to 24 year olds travel abroad uninsured. Londoners and those in the East of England and Northern Ireland are also less likely than average to purchase a policy.

The number of travellers who think insurance is too expensive has increased sharply over the past year. Nearly a third (31%) of consumers cited this as a reason for not taking out insurance, compared to one in five (20%) in 2011.

Many travellers also appear to be unsure what travel insurance is for and think the UK government will pay for their treatment if they become ill abroad. They also think they are covered by a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), but this only provides basic state medical care and will never cover the costs of repatriation to the UK, whether by regular flight or air ambulance.

Even holidaymakers who do take out insurance may not be fully protected; one in ten travellers is guilty of ‘buying blind’ and not making sure they know what they are covered for. This is particularly true of those enjoying winter sports, as a third of skiers and snowboarders do not take out the necessary specific cover.

Closer to home, two thirds (65%) of those holidaying in Britain travel uninsured, with seven in ten believing that travel insurance is more important for holidays abroad.

Lynda St Cooke of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office said: “It is important that people understand what the FCO can and cannot do to help British nationals who get into trouble abroad. We cannot pay medical bills so it is vital that you have a comprehensive travel insurance package for trips overseas. We also advise reading the small-print to check that your policy covers you for everything you want to do on holiday. If in doubt, contact your insurance provider.”

For further advice and tips on preparing for your holiday, visit www.fco.gov.uk/travel and www.abta.com