France tops list of destinations Brits travel to without travel insurance
France tops the list of countries holidaymakers surveyed have visited without travel insurance (20 percent), followed by Germany (12 percent), Spain (11 percent) and Italy (10 percent) – according to a new report.
It comes as only half of the nation (51 percent) say they would always buy travel insurance before going abroad – despite 70 percent of Brits saying they consider having no travel insurance for their holiday to be risky.
The new Post Office travel study revealed the top reason for risking travel without insurance is feeling that the destination was safe (25 percent).
This attitude is particularly prevalent amongst young UK adults – with over half (52 percent) of under 35-year-olds believing Europe is safe enough to visit without travel insurance.
This is despite over a third (35 percent) of holidaymakers experiencing a travel related issue that travel insurance could have covered.
Medical emergencies are the main reasons for travel insurance claims (27 percent), followed by travel delays/cancellations (23 percent), lost or damaged luggage (23 percent) and theft or loss of belongings (16 percent). But it's not just feeling safe that is causing holidaymakers to cut corners on travel insurance.
Almost one in four (24 percent) say they've skipped travel insurance because they were only going on a short trip. In fact, among those who base their decision on trip length, travel insurance typically isn't considered until the trip lasts at least five days on average.
Among these misconceptions is the belief that travel insurance isn't necessary (24 percent). Meanwhile, 53 percent say that the price of travel insurance is a factor in deciding not to purchase it – with this percentage rising to 70 percent amongst 25–34-year-olds. Some holidaymakers simply forgot to purchase it (16 percent).
The report found that as many as one in seven (14 percent) of those who have an incident without insurance had to fork out £500 or more – although the price tag could run into the thousands, especially in the case of repatriation or medical assistance abroad.
Seventy-six percent of holidaymakers say they would be more likely to buy travel insurance if they knew medical treatment abroad could cost £500 for a minor incident.
Paul Paddock, Protection Director at the Post Office, said: 'The question I'm always asked is 'do I have to have travel insurance?' And my answer is yes, if you want to avoid putting you and your family at risk in the unfortunate event that something goes wrong.
'It is staggering how much money is paid out by travellers for unexpected incidents due to travelling without cover. It only takes a few minutes to get a travel insurance quote and it can protect you against medical emergencies, cancelled flights, lost luggage, repatriation and more.
'But don't instantly select the lowest price, cheap travel insurance may not always cover everything you need– read the policy carefully as it is better to spend a bit more to get cover which is right for you, otherwise you could still be left footing a large bill.'
Destinations UK holidaymakers have visited without insurance: France – 20 percent Germany – 12 percent Spain (including the Balearic/Canary Islands) – 11 percent Italy – 10 percent USA – 9 percent Ireland – 9 percent Canada – 8 percent Greece – 8 percent Denmark – 7 percent Portugal – 6 percent
Some of the most googled questions reveal the nation's confusion around travel insurance – with questions ranging from 'is travel insurance compulsory?' and 'can you get travel insurance for cancelled flights?' to, 'is there holiday insurance with repatriation?' and even 'what happens if you die abroad without insurance?'
Paddock continued: 'There is clearly confusion around what travel insurance covers and what it can't – we can help people to choose the right cover for their trip if they're asking themselves 'do I need travel insurance?'. It's not worth the risk going without it'."
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