Millions of British holiday-makers risk cancelled holidays

Almost a fifth of travellers don’t buy travel insurance

Only a third (33%) of British holidaymakers buy travel insurance at the right time, risking being out of pocket and without a holiday, according to travel expert Michelle Cooper.

Further, millions still mistakenly believe that UK staycations don’t need travel insurance.

A stark 16% don’t take out travel insurance for their holidays abroad, finds a survey of 902 British holidaymakers by travel insurer Saga. 

The data reveals that 16% of British holidaymakers typically never take out travel insurance for holidays abroad. Of those who do, most typically take out single trip cover (50%), and some (34%) multi trip cover. 

 “You’ll never know how important travel insurance is unless you need to make a claim,” said Michelle Cooper, director of travel insurance at Saga Travel. 

“This could be before you go, if your trip must be cancelled because of an unexpected event, while you’re away, if you’re taken ill, or have an accident and need medical treatment, or even when you get back, if your baggage gets lost.”

She said the best time to buy your travel insurance is right after you’ve booked a holiday.

“Protecting your plans in the run-up to your holiday is just as important as when you're there.”

“We recommend getting a policy that includes cancellation cover so you’re protected if you can’t go due to illness or there’s an unexpected turn of events, like your accommodation cancels your booking. Though some holiday providers do include cancellation cover as part of the holiday booking, so check this first.

For the 5% who book on the day of departure, Cooper notes: “You can still get travel insurance on the same day you travel. Most providers specify that your trip starts when you leave your home, so you need to buy your last-minute policy before you leave. 

“Some providers might not let you claim in the first 24 or 48 hours of taking it out though. If you’re at the airport, you may still be able to buy cover. But do it before you go through customs, or you’ll have a harder job finding cover and it may come with exclusions.”

She said that 75% of holidaymakers who typically purchase an annual multi-trip policy tend to arrange insurance well in advance or within her recommended timeframe.

Most prefer to renew their cover on the day it expires (31%) so they’re always insured. A quarter (25%) purchase a new policy just before their next holiday, and almost one in five (19%) on the same day they book their next trip.