Research shows 10 million holidaymakers travelled without insurance in 2017
The risks of not having appropriate travel insurance
After the beautiful sunny bank holiday the UK experienced last weekend, it feels summer is just around the corner! If you’re planning or have already booked your holiday this year, remember to include travel insurance into your holiday arrangements. Research from The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) found that 10 million people who travelled abroad did not buy the appropriate travel insurance to protect themselves.
Although some travel insurance could seem optional, it should be a vital part of your holiday. If the worst were to happen and you became ill or injured, lack of insurance is guaranteed to make a bad situation worse.
The study found that the most common reasons for not purchasing travel insurance were it was either too expensive or that they thought the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is enough coverage. The European Health Insurance Card provides access to state medical care when travelling in Europe, but it does not provide transportation back to the UK if you were to fall seriously ill. According to ABTA, an average claim they receive equates to £1,296, however, this does not include medical treatment or repatriation that can rack up thousands.
Mark Tanzer who is ABTA Chief Executive explains, “Every year we see cases of people falling into difficulty due to travelling without sufficient travel insurance. While many people are still choosing not to take out travel insurance at all, others are travelling unaware that their insurance policy is not protecting them as they expect. I would urge all holidaymakers to make sure they take out travel insurance and check that it covers their circumstances and holiday plans.”
Benefits of travel insurance
- Dedicated private client insurance adviser to guide you through the process
- Free review of your current insurance arrangements
- Policies are underwritten by a selected panel of UK’s leading insurers
- No upper age limit on a single trip and annual multi-trip up to age 74
- Up to £7500 per traveller for cancellation and curtailment
- Up to £15,000,000 medical expenses and repatriation cover
- Four levels of cover so you can select the right policy to suit your needs
- Generous discounts for deleting certain covers you may not need
- Activity options covering most sports and activities
- Children under 18 may travel independently of an insured adult with ‘Premier' family cover
- 24/7 Emergency Medical Assistance for complete peace of mind