Irish Holidaymakers Urged to Ensure Travel Cover, with 33% Needing Medical Care While Abroad

Irish holidaymakers have been urged to ensure they have adequate travel insurance when going abroad, with new research showing one third of them (33%) have needed medical care while on foreign holidays.

The research - from travel insurer Multitrip.com - shows that among 1,000 Irish adults who travel abroad at least once a year and the people who travelled with them, 78% had faced at least one out of a list of common problems, including:

• 33% needed medical assistance such as consulting a doctor or hospital care

• 33% had a flight or transport cancelled or delayed

• 22% had luggage or belongings lost or damaged

• 14% suffered theft of money, passport or personal belongings

• 14% have had to cancel a holiday before travelling

• 11% had to cut a holiday short due to illness, a family emergency or other reason

Travel insurance policies often include benefits that help take the sting out of unexpected expenses that can add up, like emergency medical costs. Typically, the highest value claims are for medical emergencies. For example, smaller accidents like a broken wrist can be as high as €20,000 in Europe or even €45,000 in the US, while serious medical issues run into hundreds of thousands. Travel insurance can also be of great assistance if you face holiday cancellation, curtailment, or lost luggage.

Multitrip.com managing director, Jason Whelan, said: ‘‘No one wants to think about their holiday going wrong; most trips go smoothly and that’s how it should be. But when something does happen, the impact can be serious, especially when it comes to medical bills overseas, which our data shows can escalate quickly. That’s why travel insurance is such an important part of planning a trip.

"It’s not just about financial protection if you need medical care; it’s also there if things go wrong before or during your holiday, such as cancellations, lost luggage or needing emergency support abroad. And it’s about making the experience easier too. For example, all Multitrip.com policyholders have access to our 24/7 GP service, which lets customers speak to a doctor by phone or video in their own language, without spending their holiday sitting in waiting rooms.’’