FCO launches new travel insurance campaign
14/08/2015
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has warned holidaymakers against travelling without purchasing the correct travel insurance first.
Going away on holiday without insurance, or a “Getaway Gamble”, can end up costing the traveller thousands of pounds if something goes wrong. Recent data from The Association of British Insurers revealed the average travel insurance medical claim has risen by 10% to £1,002. This compares to the average cost of an annual insurance policy of £32.
The FCA has now started a campaign to encourage people in the UK to make travel insurance an essential part of their holiday preparation. The “Know before you go” campaign has been created to target a number of audiences, from gap year students to package holidaymakers; sports fans to older travellers and people visiting friends and family abroad. The campaign works with more than 400 travel industry partners to communicate its messages.
The FCO has advised all travellers to:
• ensure they have the level of insurance cover required for their needs and the activities tey have planned
• answer questions about their medical history fully and honestly with the insurer; as they may not be covered if they need to make a claim
• bear in mind that travel insurance policies may not cover accidents that occur when someone has not taken reasonable care or had excessive amounts of alcohol
• carry an up to date European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if travelling in the European Economic Area, in addition to valid insurance cover
If you need to purchase travel insurance, have a read of our travel insurance blog and see if we can help save you money
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