Grant Waldeck, spokesperson for leading insurance comparison website, comparethemarket.com.au – who expects peak comparisons in March  – warns there will be a significant number of travellers who fail to purchase a policy that directly matches their needs, or worse fail to purchase one at all.

“Based on 2013 annual trends, we expect March to be the peak season for Australians searching for and purchasing travel insurance through comparethemarket.com.au, with many booking European tours, trips to the US and river cruises right now.

“While this will be our busiest time of the year, there will remain a large portion of travellers who fail to take out any kind of policy.

“As a result they’re leaving themselves open to sizable risks such as highly-expensive medical bills, the inability to replace lost or stolen items, or losing a portion of their holiday due to an unexpected cancellation or delay.”

Grant believes that out of everyone who secures a travel policy, more than a quarter will do so without considering the potential dangers that exist while on holiday.

“Alarmingly we do see many travellers booking their policy based on price alone,” he says. “We urge Australians to also consider excess costs and what cover their policy stretches to. This should then be assessed against the level of risk involved with where they may be travelling before a purchase is made.

“While locations such as Europe and the US may sound like a ‘safe bet’ when it comes to avoiding risk, dangers can occur in even the most prestige or built-up cities.”

 

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