One in four holidaymakers put themselves at risk by travelling abroad without insurance: ABTA

A quarter of people who went on a holiday abroad in the past 12 months did so without travel insurance, according to new figures¹ released by ABTA – The Travel Association.

And those most likely to forgo insurance are travellers aged 25-34, with two in five (41%) admitting that they went on at least one trip uninsured in the past year.

With May half-term signalling the start of the peak holiday period, ABTA is warning holidaymakers of the potentially costly consequences of not taking out a travel insurance policy to cover their trips.

Uninsured travellers who fall ill or hurt themselves while away are liable for substantial medical bills and repatriation costs, in extreme cases in the tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds. Data shows the average travel insurance claim stood at £1,724 in 2023².

They will also have no chance of getting any money back if they need to cancel their trip before they go away, due to illness or redundancy, for example.

For these reasons, ABTA is urging all travellers to make sure they take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy as soon as they book their trip, which covers the activities they plan to do and any pre-existing medical conditions.

The main reason people gave for travelling uninsured was that they were prepared to take the risk (28%).

They also said they didn’t take out a policy because they had a GHIC/EHIC³ (25%), they forgot to do so (17%) or they didn’t think that travel insurance is that important (16%).

ABTA says while having a GHIC/EHIC card is important, it shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for travel insurance. While the card allows travellers to access medically necessary state healthcare, it won’t cover some of the more expensive medical bills, for example, being flown back home in an air ambulance, which costs upwards of £20,000⁴.

Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive, said: “A dream holiday can quickly turn into a nightmare if you have an accident or are ill while away and don’t have travel insurance.

“While the vast majority of holidays go ahead without a hitch, every year we hear of people who have an unexpected illness or injury and aren’t covered by insurance, with some even resorting to crowdfunding to cover the cost, which often runs into tens of thousands of pounds.

“That’s why we always advise people to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy as soon as they book their holiday, so they have peace of mind knowing they’re covered if they need it.”

Sarah Taylor, Director of Consular and Crisis at the FCDO, said: "Every day, our consular teams see firsthand the distress and financial hardship caused when people face emergencies overseas without adequate insurance.

"Travel insurance is not just an optional extra – it’s a vital safeguard for Brits travelling abroad.”