FCO’s latest warning about travel insurance

The Foreign Office has again warned British travellers about the need to carry suitable travel insurance.

Travel Insurance News - 02/06/2011

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Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued its latest warning to UK travellers about travel insurance. The latest research released by the FCO finds that young people will more readily buy a gift for their host than arrange travel insurance for their trip.

The striking news comes as more than 12 million Brits plan to head abroad on visits to family and friends this year. The survey also reveals that a third of people failed to take out travel insurance when they last headed overseas to stay with friends and family.

Some 77 per cent of people who said they would be visiting family and friends this year stated that conserving their finances was a key factor in the decision to stay with friends and family. The FCO is warning, however, that failing to pay for comprehensive travel insurance can become a disastrously false economy.

Travellers who find themselves needing medical attention or who lose valuable possessions during their trip can end up seriously out of pocket. Jeremy Browne, the FCO Minister for Consular Affairs, says that more than five million British nationals live abroad, providing an increasingly-attractive option for holidaymakers seeking to visit loved ones around the world.

He added that it was still important to be aware than serious problems could still arise for British travellers, even if they are staying in somebody’s home. He urged holidaymakers to take the same preparatory steps before travelling that they would for any kind of trip abroad, including make sure they have adequate holiday insurance.

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