Jetting off with the family for Easter: Can you afford to skimp on travel insurance?

Direct Travel Insurance warns against the risks of going away without adequate travel insurance, by making public last Easter’s most significant claims figures.

With the economy slowly recovering, more families will be considering going away this Easter. Skimping on travel insurance by either purchasing insufficient cover or not including it at all may leave travellers out of pocket, as shown by these figures from Direct Travel Insurance’s claims department:

Worldwide travel insurance claims from Direct Travel Insurance – Easter 2009:

• 44% of all claims related to medical expenses, including emergency repatriation (an average of £2,640 was claimed per person)
• 20% of all claims related to lost or damaged luggage (an average of £240 was claimed per person)
• 22% of all claims were for cancelling or cutting short a holiday (an average of £700 was claimed per person)

Jonathan Hewett, Vice President - Consumer Marketing at Direct Travel Insurance said: “As shown by our claims figures, regardless of your holiday budget, not purchasing travel insurance or choosing the cheapest policy available - without considering what you would not be covered for – is a risky way of saving some money before a trip. Choose the right policy for your needs and always make sure you disclose any medical conditions.”

10 days worldwide* travel insurance with Direct Travel Insurance costs only £22 per person and includes cover for cancellation, personal possessions and money. Visit www.direct-travel.co.uk or call 0845 605 2700. *Excludes the US, Canada and the Caribbean

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For more information please contact Jonathan Hewett on 020 8774 5683 or email jonathan.hewett@chartisinsurance.com.

Note to editors:

• Established in 1993, Direct Travel Insurance has now insured 8 million people and provided winter sports cover for 1.4 million policyholders.
• Direct Travel Insurance offers Single Trip, Winter Sports travel cover, Backpacker insurance and Annual Multi-trip travel insurance.
• Direct Travel Insurance offers Talking Nurses, a free service giving health advice to worried travellers, including information on local medicine when travelling abroad.
• Direct Travel Insurance offers 24 hour medical emergency service, medical expenses up to £20m per person and cancellation cover of up to £6,000 per person, so if you're planning on making a trip, buy cover you can rely on from Direct Travel Insurance.