The importance of travel insurance

December 11, 2023

Since the last of the Covid restrictions were lifted, the UK’s travel industry has surged back to levels last seen before the pandemic. Indeed, according to an article in Travel Weekly on the 13^th of September 2023, the travel and tourism sector is expected to exceed the £248.5 billion value it represented before Covid in 2019 to achieve a new peak of £252.4 billion.

The upsurge in activity is enough to make you want to start travelling once again – at home or abroad, on holiday or on business.

While travel restrictions may have been lifted, there are still many things, unfortunately, that can still go wrong – theft, delays, illness, for example, and even if you are simply travelling within the UK itself. If you’ve driven from where you live in Kent to Scotland, let’s say, how do you get back home if you break your leg in an accident? How do you get your car back home?

Travel insurance

Travel insurance is designed to safeguard you against the fallout from accidents and incidents such as this.

Whether you are at home or abroad, travelling on business or for pleasure, there is travel insurance to safeguard you against both the inconvenient and the potentially disastrous events that might happen along the way.

Although travel insurance comes in many different packages – allowing you to tailor your policy to match your particular needs – Citizens Advice suggests that certain elements of cover should feature in any travel insurance you buy:

• medical cover for the cost of treatment, care, and the journey home if you fall seriously ill or are injured while abroad – when the costs can be substantial;

• public liability indemnity for personal injury, loss, or damage caused by your actions;

• cover for delayed or lost baggage;

• cover for lost or damaged belongings; and

• cover for missed departures or the cancellation of travel you have booked.

Not only is it possible to choose elements of cover to suit your needs but you can also tailor policies to match the type of traveller you are. If you are a regular traveller, for instance, and go abroad more than two or three times a year then you might want to choose annual travel insurance – saving money through the purchase of insurance that covers multiple journeys rather than buying the separate, single-journey insurance more appropriate for a single annual holiday.

Terms and conditions

As with any general insurance, it is important that you carefully read the terms and conditions of your policy – specifically, its inclusions and exclusions.

An article by the Money Saving Expert on the 12^th of October 2023, for example, identifies one of the common issues faced by those looking for travel insurance who also have a pre-existing medical condition. It is important that any insurer is aware of a pre-existing medical condition – otherwise, in the event of a claim, it may be rejected.

Similarly, you might also want to check the terms and conditions relating to your travel itinerary. Most policies, for instance, will cover you for your journey from the UK to your destination abroad and back again. Unless you have notified your insurer beforehand or take an unplanned diversion through a different country, you could be invalidating your policy.

Summary

In your excitement and haste to return to pre-pandemic opportunities for travel, remember not to overlook your need for travel insurance.

You will be able to tailor your insurance to suit your needs – including the choice between multiple-journey annual travel insurance or single-journey cover for a one-off trip.

Whatever cover you buy, it is important to carefully read the terms and conditions of your policy – especially its inclusions and exclusions.