A survey by the Abta travel organization has shown that one fifth of all travelers in the United Kingdom take their vacations without purchasing travel insurance.
The survey included the participation of 2,018 people and determined that a comparable percentage believed that if anything should go wrong, the U.K. government would pick up the tab.
As a result of this surprising statistic, Abta is now urging all travelers to purchase insurance at the same time that they make their holiday bookings.
The survey also indicated that the concern that topped the list of the majority of travelers when booking their vacations is a safe and secure accommodation.
Head of financial protection at Abta, John de Vial, commented about the findings, saying that “It is very worrying that so many people are putting their health and finances at risk by travelling abroad without insurance.” He went on to explain that it is a mistake to assume that it is the responsibility of the Foreign Office to cover the expense of hospital bills. This misunderstanding is most common among younger travelers.
De Vial proceeded to explain that within today’s situation economic struggle and uncertainty, it is important for consumers to consider the protection of their finances at a time that they are making their vacation bookings, so that they will be protected in the case that they need to make a cancellation, as well as to cover any medical expenses should they contract an illness or face another kind of medical emergency while they are away from home.
