Insurance Claims Increase By 61 Percent

Travel insurance company Essential Travel announced that claims had increased by 61% on their backpacker travel insurance policy. More than 52% of claims were related to medical expenses and more than 18% were for valuables. Just over half of all claims related to travel in Asia and Australia.

A spokesman for Essential Travel suggested the number of cool things to do during gap year travel is to blame for the high cost of medical claims. Activities such as bungee jumping, sky diving, skiing and white water rafting are firmly on the to do list for many during backpacker travel. He also said that more backpackers carrying high value items such as laptops, ipods and smart phones lead to higher claims for personal effects.

Stuart Bensusan of EssentialTravel.co.uk said: "It is unnerving, particularly for parents, to hear that claims from backpackers encountering mishaps abroad are on the rise, but it goes to show how important it is for them to take out adequate insurance before they leave."

"Preparing for a gap year abroad is arguably the most exciting time in a young person's life and nobody wants to think about the potential pitfalls." he added.

Despite the trend towards higher claims, research from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office shows that 1 in 5 Britons travel without adequate travel insurance. The research goes on to suggest that on average travellers spend more than twice the cost of their insurance policy on magazines and sweets at the airport.

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