41% of Australian travellers opt out of purchasing travel insurance

27% of Australians think travel insurance is unnecessary.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) is encouraging Australians planning overseas trips to secure travel insurance as the Easter holidays approach.

This advice comes after ICA's discovery of a concerning number of holidaymakers considering travel without insurance.

The ICA and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Smartraveller commissioned a survey that revealed that 41% of Australians who consider travelling overseas do not purchase travel insurance.

The survey also found that one in six individuals (16%) did not have travel insurance on their most recent overseas trip.

ALSO READ: AlipayHK users benefit from Blue Cross travel insurance promotion

When asked why they do not opt for travel insurance, 24% believed their destination was safe enough while 27% deemed it unnecessary, and 4% felt their trip was too short to warrant insurance.

Meanwhile, 44% of travellers consulted Smartraveller for pre-trip information, yet 10% would still visit destinations despite government advice. 

“Travel insurance is as vital as your passport. We encourage everyone planning a trip to purchase travel insurance well in advance and to carefully read the terms and conditions,” Andrew Hal, ICA CEO said.