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Best Reasons to Buy Travel Insurance: Protect Yourself Abroad
Is traveling without insurance really worth it with all the changes in the world today? Here we cover the many pitfalls of travelling without insurance and why it is so important to have the right cover in place!
The risks of travelling without a good insurance policy can be considerable and far-reaching. With this in mind, why do so many people choose to travel without any coverage?
According to ABTA, as many as two-fifths of people (38%) - 8.6 million Brits - who traveled abroad in the past 18 months have holidayed without the right travel insurance or non at all. Many could have taken part in activities which may not have been covered by the insurance they did have.
Just over one in five (21%) holidaymakers said they traveled without insurance in the last year. Of these people, over a third (37%) said they didn’t think they needed travel insurance and more than a quarter (28%) said it was a risk they were willing to take.. ABTA
Almost half (48%) of UK parents fail to take out travel insurance when going on holiday or booking holiday accommodation, new research revealed. This comes despite more than a third (37%) of parents experiencing a child falling ill or suffering an injury while on a break abroad.
Staggeringly, Direct Travel reported that 38% of 18-34-year-olds (millennials) said they would be prepared to risk not having travel insurance, many of whom thought the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) did the same job, which it does not! Direct Travel
Various articles of research including our own, show that common excuses for failing to purchase travel insurance are - it’s too expensive, I forgot, I thought it was included in the cost of the holiday, it’s part of Europe so I don’t need it! Unfortunately, none of these excuses would act as a get out of hospital free card in a real-life situation.
Best reasons to buy travel insurance
A real-Life example of what can happen if you don't have insurance - Joyce Kettle, 74, a great-grandmother from Blyth, Northumberland was airlifted to a hospital near Cancun, having suffered from breathing difficulties on a cruise off the Mexican coast. She underwent an emergency heart operation resulting in a hospital bill of over £50,000. Joyce thought she had holiday insurance through her bank but the policy only covered her for trips in Europe. As a result, her family launched a "Go Fund Me" appeal to help pay for Joyce’s medical costs and bring her safely home.
It’s important to know that the Foreign Commonwealth Office cannot pay medical bills if you are hospitalised abroad nor can they fly you home.
If you have a travel insurance policy through your bank account or credit card, it’s worthwhile checking – what parts of the world it covers and what type of cover is included, as you may need to get a top-up for special circumstances.
Choosing an Insurer
There are hundreds of insurance companies to choose from all with many types of policies to purchase online. If you are not 100% sure of the policy to purchase, call the insurance company for advice. We are affiliated to Globelink International who is a well-established travel insurance company and has various policies to suit all types of travellers. Click the link below and purchase the policy most suited to your needs.
If you have any special medical conditions that must be declared, don’t hold back, because if you fail to mention this when you take out insurance and you later need to make a claim, insurance companies are well within their rights to reject any claim.
Best reasons to buy travel insurance - The cost of travel insurance is very cheap compared with the benefits of cover you may need, for example – delayed or cancelled flight; missed departure; curtailment; delayed or lost luggage; personal money and accident; doctors/hospital treatment; event cancellation, plus many more descriptions depending on the policy you choose.
For more information and to choose a policy for you and your family head over to Globe International where they have policies and prices to suit all pockets.
Main Points to Takeaway!
1. Never travel abroad to other countries without travel insurance. Plus, if you have an annual policy and you book a short domestic break, you can be covered both home and away.
2. Purchase your travel insurance before you book your travel/holiday or as soon after as possible, that way you will be fully covered if anything goes wrong, such as - If you are ill and unable to travel or you are made redundant or because of bereavement.
3. Purchase insurance that does cover you for all eventualities as not all policies will cover everything, such as delayed departure, curtailment, cancellation and many others. It may cost you a couple of extra £/€ but it will be well worth it!
4. Always declare any medical conditions prior to purchasing your travel insurance, if you don't, your policy will be completely void.
5. Always check that the travel insurance you are about to purchase is completely appropriate. If you are going scuba diving, hiring jetski's, winter sports or any other activity, you must ensure you have the correct cover.
Disclaimer - Information contained in this article was accurate at the time of publishing and should be used for guidance only. Whilst we make every effort to keep our information up to date, public information is constantly changing and therefore, no responsibility can or will be accepted if this information becomes out of date or which warrants this information to be inaccurate. Product and service links found on this page have been selected from very reputable companies that we work with. We make no recommendation for the purchase of their products or services or act as agents on their behalf.