Nearly 12 million UK holidaymakers are planning to travel abroad this summer with insufficient or no travel insurance cover, according to new research released today by First Rate Travel Services. The research reflects the attitudes of 1000 UK holidaymakers to travel service products. 

The research highlighted a worrying trend that nearly 1 in 7 UK holidaymakers are not taking out travel insurance unless they are going on holiday for a week or more. These results are alarming when a combined with the fact that a fifth of all holiday’s taken in 2002 were short breaks.

Paul Rayner, Sales and Marketing Director for First Rate, comments, “These statistics highlight a worrying ‘lassiez faire’ attitude towards insurance - with this attitude to short breaks being of particular concern.

 

“Holidaymakers need to be aware that whether you are travelling for a long weekend, a week, or longer, you will still be exposed to the same risks of baggage loss, cancellation, injury and theft - and the medical and replacement costs are the same, however long you go for.”

The research also highlighted that young men are not only the worst overall offenders of this “it won’t happen to me” attitude, but that they are twice as bad as young women, with nearly 1 in 5 claiming they travelled abroad without even checking what their policy covered them for, compared to only 1 in 10 women.

 

“The Travel Industry needs to be working with consumers to make them understand the true financial implications of travelling without insurance or the correct level of cover for their specific holiday,” continues Paul Rayner. 

 

Malcolm Tarling, spokesperson from the Association of British Insurers, comments, “Travel insurance is not a luxury- it should be seen as an essential part of travel arrangements. No one wants to think that their holiday may be spoiled or ruined, but the fact is that should the worst happen, such as losing your possessions or falling seriously ill, without insurance protection your only holiday memories could be bad and very expensive ones.”

 

As a result of consumer feedback, First Rate

has developed a new annual multi-trip policy called AnnualAssure.  This new policy, paid by monthly direct debits, is one of the most comprehensive policies on the market.  Holidaymakers will be covered for an unlimited number of trips both in Europe and Worldwide, whether it’s a week’s holiday in the sun, a short break and even a ski or adventure holiday.  The policy has been designed to provide holidaymakers with both convenience and peace of mind, whenever and wherever they travel, whilst only having to worry about buying travel insurance once a year.
——-