Expensive gadgets 'make travel insurance vital'
Published On 13 August 2007
Britons need to make sure their holiday insurance covers them for the valuable personal items they will take away with them on vacation this year, a leading insurer has warned.Figures released by Halifax Travel Insurance show that Britons suffer 1.4 million incidents of holiday theft every year and that the typical beach bag of someone from the UK can now contain over £1,000 worth of items.
Items like mobile phones, mp3 players, digital cameras and designer sunglasses make comprehensive travel insurance vital.
"We'd advise holidaymakers to remain vigilant at all times and to never leave their beach bags unattended as this might invalidate their insurance claim should they fall victim to beach thieves," explained Paul Birkhead, an underwriting manager at Halifax Travel Insurance.
"However, while you can minimise the risks you can never eliminate them, which is why having travel insurance is so important when you are abroad.
"It's not only important having travel insurance, but having adequate travel insurance that will cover the full amount of the goods stolen."
Separate research suggests that 37 per cent of all holiday crime committed against Brits happens in Spain.
