The trend of the staycation in the UK is more popular than ever. And it’s hardly surprising, not only are people finding they might be shorter on disposable income than previous years but the UK also has an increasing number of fantastic attractions on offer.
Britain enjoyed a renewed sense of national pride during the Royal Wedding, with street parties springing up around the country and with both the Queens Jubilee and the London Olympics in 2012 there are new and exciting attractions to be enjoyed all over the UK.
Despite the fact that more people are choosing the possibly more sensible option of staying closer to home at a time of financial worry, more than half of these people would risk doing so without taking out an adequate travel insurance policy.
Research by moneysupermarket.com, the UKs number one price comparison site, has found that when holidaying in the UK only 35% of people take out an adequate travel insurance, compared with 56% who would take it out to visit the Channel Islands, 81% travelling to Europe and 9 out of 10 travellers taking out insurance when travelling long haul.
When holidaying in the UK many are under the misconception that there isn’t anything that can drastically disrupt their holiday plans but unfortunately this isn’t the case. Bob Atkinson, travel expert from moneysupermarket.com said ‘“It may seem a waste of time having travel insurance for holidays within the UK, but you can still be caught out by events beyond your control. For example, during the recent ash cloud disruption, several internal flights between UK airports were cancelled.”
Many holidaymakers travelling to the Channel Islands can also get caught out for expensive medical bills if you become ill or have an injury whilst over there. You are not covered by the NHS on the islands and so it is essential travel insurance is taken out to protect you against any unforeseen medical costs.
The research into consumers travel insurance also found that some travellers think that European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) are an adequate cover even when not travelling in Europe!
Bob Atkinson continued “Worryingly, some of us will rely on an EHIC card for our insurance cover. While this helps out towards some of the medical costs, it is not a replacement for a travel insurance policy and will leave many nursing not only their health but a hefty bill. I recommend taking out a suitable travel insurance policy as well as an EHIC when travelling in EU countries. Our research showed three per cent of people travelling worldwide wouldn’t take out travel insurance because they believed an EHIC would cover them, despite it being useless if you’re heading for a destination outside the EU. This just highlights the need to ensure that even if you have an EHIC it is still vital to have appropriate travel insurance for your holiday destination.”
Wherever you choose to holiday this summer, whether it be a destination close to home or a long haul trip ensure you do your research when it comes to your travel insurance, lack of preparation can result in a more costly getaway than you first expected.
