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Date Published : Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Taking out travel insurance when going overseas should be a regular occurrence; however many Australians not used to travelling abroad forget to do so.
A recent report by the Australian Associated Press suggested that as many as a third of all Australians travelling to a foreign country do not take out any form of travel insurance to cover them for illness, theft or even loss of baggage.
Each year, the federal government deals with over 20,000 cases where Australians are involved in difficulties overseas.
In cases where victims are not covered by travel insurance, such personal tragedies are further compounded by a long-term financial burden. Hospitalisation, medical evacuations, or even the return of the deceased's remains to Australia, can be very expensive.
Advice for travellers on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's website states: "With accidents or illness often unavoidable, proper travel insurance is very important in this context.
"Of course, the all-too-common occurrence of theft and loss of personal belongings is also something all Australian travellers should insure against."
"In choosing a policy, we would note some insurance policies will not always cover claims made in those countries to which the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recommends against travel."
Despite the fact that federal government statistics show that only 0.6 per cent of Australians travelling overseas experience difficulties, travel insurance is a vital part of any trip and should always be included when packing the suitcase.
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