More than one in five people admitted travelling on some holidays completely uninsured in the past 12 months, according to figures released by ABTA today.
Meanwhile, 27% of British holidaymakers have risked invalidating their insurance by not telling their insurance companies about pre-existing medical conditions or by taking part in activities without checking they were covered under the policy.
Ahead of the summer holidays, ABTA is urging holidaymakers to make sure they take out travel insurance which covers their circumstances and the activities they are planning to do.
The most common reason for not buying travel insurance was that people felt it wasn’t needed, with some holidaymakers wrongly believing that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) would provide sufficient cover.
ABTA said while it is important to have an EHIC card when travelling in Europe, it only provides access to state medical care and does not include repatriation to the UK if you are seriously ill.
For 29% of those who didn’t buy insurance, cost was a barrier, while 15% said that they received insurance through their bank account.
ABTA is encouraging people who have travel insurance with their bank to check that it covers their requirements as there may be restrictions around age, health, destination and activities.
ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: "Every year we see cases of people falling into difficulty due to travelling without sufficient travel insurance. While many people are still choosing not to take out travel insurance at all, others are travelling unaware that their insurance policy is not protecting them as they expect.
"While not declaring existing medical conditions or taking part in activities that aren’t covered are easy mistakes to make, they can be very costly, leaving holidaymakers and their families with expensive medical bills which run into thousands of pounds. I would urge all holidaymakers to make sure they take out travel insurance and check that it covers their circumstances and holiday plans."
