Almost a quarter of young Aussie travellers are heading overseas without travel insurance.
Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) CEO Andrew Hall said a recent survey found one in seven Australian travellers went on their most recent overseas trip without any travel insurance coverage, with the figure jumping to 23 percent for under-30s.
Mr Hall said the survey, run in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smartraveller, also found that two thirds (65 percent) of those who travelled without insurance gave it some thought before deciding to go without.
He said a third of those travellers (31 percent) decided to forgo insurance due to travelling to a destination they perceived as safe.
“Travelling anywhere, whether it’s overseas or domestically, is the highlight of many people’s years, but even when travelling to destinations perceived to be safe the unexpected can still happen.”
Mr Hall said the survey also revealed the travel habits of Aussies, with a large portion of travellers (45 percent) stating they were willing to take risks in pursuit of unique or memorable experiences, such as trying unfamiliar foods (49 percent) and visiting challenging environments (33 percent).
“Alarmingly, a third (36 percent) of travellers agreed they had seen risky destinations promoted in a positive way in media and social media.”
He said almost half (46 percent) of travellers had, or would personally consider, travelling overseas for a medical procedure, most commonly dental care (30 percent).
“The most common motivation among considerers was the lower cost of treatment, mentioned by 69 percent, far above any other motivation.”
Mr Hall said while 70 percent of Australian travellers consumed alcohol while overseas, well under half (43 percent) understood that travel insurance policies varied significantly in their alcohol coverage.
“Understanding your policy and assessing what kinds of activities you plan on undertaking while you’re travelling is the best way to make sure you’re protected.”
Full study results can be found on the Smartraveller website.
