“It Didn’t Occur to Me When it Came to Travel Insurance”

-       holidaymakers just aren’t engaging with travel insurance and policy terms

Europesure Travel Insurance has discovered a worrying trend amongst the travelling public –not thinking to check that their travel insurance would cover their losses and protect them, if they needed to call on their cover.

A further worry that the respected provider of travel insurance policies to travellers resident in the UK, EU, EEA, Monaco and Gibraltar found is that 16% of those who say they take overseas holidays do not even buy travel insurance.  A further 21.5% only ‘sometimes’ buy travel cover.

Of those who don’t buy travel insurance, two-thirds haven’t thought to do so. The rest worryingly believe “travel insurance is not necessary”.  

This is despite medical costs potentially running into five-figure sums even in a European hospital scenario and to eye-watering amounts in other parts of the world, particularly North America and Canada.  

Furthermore, if an air ambulance transfer or repatriation of a body became necessary, the uninsured traveller would find themselves, or their family, placed in what could be a devastating financial position.  The Government will not step in to fund such expenses and huge debts could result, with such transfers costing eye-watering amounts.

As great a worry uncovered by Europesure Travel Insurance is the fact a large proportion of travellers are purchasing travel insurance but then potentially invalidating their policy, by not performing vital checks against the small print.

·       One-fifth do not check their travel insurance policy to assess what might invalidate it.

·       17% of those with medical conditions, do not check their conditions are covered by their travel insurance.  In 11% of cases, they have not thought to do so.  The rest do not believe it necessary.  Added to this, of the 60% who say they do check their conditions are covered, only 37% always do that.  The others only ‘sometimes’ check.

Then there are sporting activities overseas, in which many travellers indulge and which could easily invalidate a travel insurance policy, if not covered as standard under its policy wording.

·       38% of travellers say they do perform this check

·       but only 15% of these always check they would be covered for a leisure activity and 23% ‘sometimes’ do.  

·       35% never do this.  This leaves over a third of travellers potentially putting themselves in a position where an insurance claim for something such as an injury, resulting illness, death or injury to a third party is not covered, following participation in an uninsured activity overseas.

If the eventuality occurred because of their participation in a non-insured sports or leisure activity, or because they did not abide by the specific instructions relating to cover for such an activity, they could find the underwriter refusing to compensate for resulting losses.

Many travel insurance policies cover some popular activities, including white water rafting, scuba diving and hiking, to a certain degree. Factors such as white water rafting grading, the depth to which diving takes place and the altitude to which the traveller climbs, come into play.  

There could be other rules attached to activities such as motorcycling overseas,  windsurfing, skateboarding, quad biking, jet skiing and many more activities found in resorts worldwide.

The policy might stipulate that the activity must be supervised, or accompanied by a suitably qualified instructor or guide.  It could equally insist that appropriate safety headgear or clothing be worn.  If rules are breached, there could be no pay out from the policy.

Equally, winter sports activities would only usually be covered if a winter sports’ extension to a standard travel insurance policy had been purchased.  

Europesure Travel Insurance’s sales director, Paul O’Sullivan, says, “Our research has uncovered very worrying trends.  Firstly, the percentage of people travelling uninsured appears to be rising again, having fallen during the pandemic.  Secondly, it is clear that many travellers are not engaging with their travel insurance policy or understanding that its cover is dependent on certain terms and conditions.  It is not a blanket protection for whatever activities they wish to do and whatever medical history they have.

“If these two key areas – medical conditions and leisure and sporting activities – are not being checked, the likelihood is that many other aspects of the policy could be being invalidated.  Here, we only have to look at factors that can lead to a claim being denied, such as alcohol consumption, dangerous horseplay, including balconing and owling, and taking on a manual labour job overseas.”

With Europesure Travel Insurance’s policy, things are made easier for European and UK travellers and expats.  A list of both medical conditions and sports and leisure activities is provided, making it clear what is covered and what is not.  If something is not on the list, it is not covered, although it can be referred to the underwriters.

To discover more about the travel insurance provided by Europesure, which consists of single trip and annual travel insurance, plus a number of useful and specific travel insurance add-on policies, head to www.europesuretravelinsurance.com   Three levels of cover – Silver, Gold and Platinum – are available and policies are written in English, for those English-speaking travellers living in Europe.

Notes to Editors

Research was undertaken in September 2025 through independent research company Censuswide, who surveyed a representative sample of 1000 adults. 

Ends

Editors notes

Europesure Travel Insurance is a respected travel insurance provider, offering a range of travel covers to residents of the UK, EU, EEA, Monaco and Gibraltar. With the added peace of mind of having policies backed by Lloyds of London, holidaymakers and travellers can gain peace of mind of knowing their cover will be comprehensive and ready to step in, to offer whatever level of protection was selected, in line with the policy wording and terms and conditions.