20% of holiday makers without travel insurance
Added 04/10/2011
A recent poll by ABTA has found that as many as 20% of UK holidaymakers are still going abroad without taking out travel insurance.
According to the survey which polled 2018 customers, more than 1 in 4 mistakenly believed that the UK Government will cover their bills if something goes wrong.
This could be a costly mistake to make, because although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can provide support and assistance, if you are hospitalised abroad due to illness or injury, they do not cover the cost. This is why it is vital to have travel insurance every time you travel, particularly if you are travelling with a pre-existing medical condition.
Medical treatment abroad can be very expensive and to avoid being faced with large bills if taken ill or after having an accident, the Foreign Office urges people to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy every time they go away.
A recent case of an uninsured man having a motorcycle accident Bali draws attention to how high those costs can be. The man’s family are facing bills in excess of £120,000 for medical treatment and a further £110,000 for an air ambulance to fly him home.
