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Insurance

Less than half of Irish holidaymakers buy full insurance for their trip

Women are less likely to cover themselves with many saying they would only invest in travel insurance for an expensive holiday.

LOST LUGGAGE, ACCIDENTS, theft – these are the last things you want to worry about when you’re heading off on holiday but unfortunately they are a reality. In a new survey, AA Ireland found that less than half of Irish holidaymakers are covering themselves against these holiday nightmares with many opting to do without any insurance.

In the survey of almost 9,300 people, less than 43 per cent of men said they would make sure they were fully insured for any trip with 41.4 per cent of women saying the same.

Ten per cent said they wouldn’t take out any insurance at all with younger travellers less likely to buy it. Over 65s are 2.5 times more likely to take multi-trip insurance than those aged 17-24.

The survey found that women are more occasional buyers of travel insurance with 10 per cent saying they’d only invest in it if they were going on an expensive holiday. A further 17.6 per cent said they would only buy it for certain trips, like holidays in the US where medical insurance is expensive.

Commenting on the survey today, AA spokesperson Arwen Foley said travellers can be left forking out a lot of money to change flights or buy items to tide them over if flights are cancelled or luggage is lost and they haven’t bought insurance.

AA also said that having private health insurance can help save on your travel insurance as some companies offer a discount.

If planning a short trip in Europe’s main cities, AA advises holidaymakers to take precautions to avoid would-be pick-pockets like only taking as much money as you need for a day out with you and keeping it in a front pocket.

“Disasters don’t just happen on long trips abroad, you can find yourself in the middle of a holiday drama even when you’re on a weekend break. For better peace of mind make sure you’ve got travel insurance,” AA said.

Read: Charges for public beds will drive insurance premiums up 30%>
Explainer: Why should you get a European Health Insurance Card before travelling?>

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