Travel insurance “ignored” by 2.24 million

Some 16 per cent of people who are planning on taking adventurous holidays this year will do so without insurance, according to a report by insurer AXA.

This means that around 2.24 million individuals will be indulging in activities from scuba diving to snowboarding to kayaking without being insured.

If a traveller in a foreign country were to sustain an injury, the resultant medical bill “could run into thousands of pounds”, according to AXA’s travel insurance manager, Pat Brady.

Mr Brady points out that travel cover should be a priority for all holidaymakers, but particularly those who plan on engaging in adventurous activities.

“Travel insurance does not have to be expensive and it should help ensure that if you do encounter problems on holiday, the disruption and cost is kept to a minimum,” he added.

According to AXA, cycling holidays were the kind people were most likely to insure themselves for, with 19 per cent of people saying they were going to go cycling but did not plan on taking out cover.

Cycling is followed in the list of least likely holidays to be insured by trekking and canoeing, while the most likely was scuba diving.