A recent survey has shown that one in four British tourists is traveling abroad without taking out travel insurance. These days there are huge possibilities when choosing how to spend a weekend. Many British people take advantage of low-cost carriers and take short breaks abroad. This kind of traveling is so easy that many Britons do not bother to insure themselves or they simply forget to do so. Nevertheless, they expose themselves to various risks. The most common unexpected expenses go to medical emergencies and damaged baggage.
Travel Uncovered Report, a survey of 1,000 travelers conducted by YouGov for Norwich Union, has shown that some 50% of the British travelers who failed to take out insurance were going on short breaks and taking a calculated risk. The report also showed that 14 per cent forgot to take out insurance before going abroad. There is also a difference between male and female travelers, as almost a third of men had no cover, compared with 20 per cent of women. "Our research shows that holidaymakers often don"t think about the consequences, both financially and emotionally, if things go wrong”, says Luis Berraondo, the travel underwriter at Norwich Union.
According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) the main problem is that many travelers think that a problem “just won"t happen to them”. However, Mr. Malcolm Tarling, a spokesman for the ABI says: "Travel insurance should be a vital part of your holiday, not seen as a luxury or an afterthought".
Another insurance-related issue is the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) as many Britons still do not know how to use it. The card entitles travelers to reduced-cost or free medical treatment within the European Economic Area or Switzerland, but does not provide cover for other travel-related problems.