Holiday hiccups impact millions

Ah… holidays.

What Australian doesn’t love them?

We might be positioned at the far end of the world but Aussies just love to jet set and get amongst it. After all, it’s in our nature to seek adventure and a good time.

Think about it?  When have your ever gone on an overseas sojourn and not bumped into a fellow expat on some secluded beach or out of the way bazaar? 

In fact, the further off the grid you go, the more likely you are stumble upon one. From Bangkok to Calgary, Santiago to Antwerp, you’re bound to encounter a fellow countrymen or woman hopefully not (but probably so) merrily chanting our unofficial traveller’s anthem: “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!”

However, it seems with the mass numbers of holidaymakers also comes the mass numbers of holiday mishaps and accidents.

A recent study published on finder.com.au found that from a pool of 2,800 Aussie adults surveyed, an alarming 38 per cent reported that they’d experienced some kind of travel hiccup abroad. Incidents included illness and injury, car accidents, visa issues and even natural disasters.

According to finder.com.au, when converted, these sample numbers indicated that a staggering 5.9 million Aussies had endured a holiday hardship in some way whilst vacationing overseas.

The most common complaint was easily travel delay, with 16 per cent of travellers experiencing delays of over six hours. Meanwhile a further 12 per cent of Aussies said they have lost their luggage while travelling and one in ten said that they’d had their belongings stolen.

The study also found that by demographic, males were more prone to endure calamity than females, with two in five men experiencing an overseas mishap.

Whilst these statistics shouldn’t scare you off booking your next trip, it is important to be mindful and protect yourself from potential misadventure prior to departure. That means taking out good travel insurance. 

Had those travellers in the study covered themselves with the right comprehensive travel insurance policy, they would have most likely been able to seek compensation for any damage or injury or theft incurred upon them. And with medical and hospital costs outrageous in many parts of the world, travel insurance for health related incidents alone is a must.

As the old adage goes, “prevention is the best protection” so if you’re planning a winter escape soon just click to check out our exclusive member’s only travel insurance offer with InsureandGo. Policies start from just $24**.

You can read Finder's article in Travel Weekly here

Any advice contained in this article is general in nature and does not take account of your individual circumstances, objectives or needs.