'Staycationers' Steer Clear of Travel Insurance

CHESTER, England, June 6, 2011 -

- Only a Fifth of People Holidaying in the UK Would Take out
Travel Cover

- One in ten European Travellers Believe EHIC Will Provide Adequate
Cover

More than half (58 per cent) of British holidaymakers would
'staycation' without taking out travel insurance according to research from
moneysupermarket.com (www.moneysupermarket.com/travel-insurance/).*

The UK's number one price comparison site found when it comes
to holidaying at home, only 35 per cent of people would do so with adequate
travel insurance in place. However, travel insurance becomes far more
important to holidaymakers once they leave the UK mainland. Over half of
those surveyed (56 per cent) would take out travel insurance when visiting
the Channel Islands, and this rises to 81 per cent for those travelling to
Europe. Travel insurance becomes more of a priority for those heading further
afield with nine out of ten travellers taking out cover.

Bob Atkinson, travel expert at moneysupermarket.com
(www.moneysupermarket.com/travel-insurance/) said; "Over the last few
years we have seen a number of high profile incidents such as holiday company
and airline failures, strikes and the Icelandic ash clouds all impacting
travellers. It is therefore essential to make sure you have adequate travel
insurance in place to cover you for all eventualities.

"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. With many annual travel
insurance policies including UK travel as standard it can be worthwhile,
especially if you travel regularly. It is also important not to get caught
out when travelling to the Channel Isles, as you do not get free NHS care on
the islands and a good policy is essential if you fall ill.

"If you are travelling further afield, the medical cover
provided by travel insurance is essential as any medical emergency could be
extremely costly. With policies typically including more than GBP1 million of
medical expenses it is very unwise to travel without cover in place. It is
quick and easy to shop around using moneysupermarket.com to find the right
travel insurance policy. You should choose the best value cover, which may
not necessarily be the cheapest option."

moneysupermarket.com research also found some travellers view
European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) as an alternative to having a travel
insurance policy to cover their trip, even when travelling outside of the EU!
EHICs entitle the holder to the same level of free medical care as is
provided to nationals of the European country you're visiting. They provide
no cover for loss, theft or damage of your luggage or personal belongings and
also don't come with benefits such as personal liability cover.

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."

moneysupemarket.com recommends the following levels of cover:

    - GBP2m for medical expenses

    - GBP1m personal liability

    - GBP3000 cancellation - or enough to cover the total cost of your
      holiday

    - GBP1500 baggage

    - GBP250 for cash

    - Policy excesses under GBP100

    - Cover for scheduled airline failure and end supplier failure as
      desirable

    - Delay cover (e.g. GBP20/hour for first 12 hours).

Notes to editors:

*Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,031 UK adults aged
18+ from 27th May - 31st May 2011. Results have been weighted to nationally
representative criteria.

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