Why purchase travel insurance

Regardless of whether you travel regularly or are planning the trip of a life time, the unexpected may happen and being on the end of exposed risk could see your holiday end in financial ruin.

Travel insurers have countless stories of incidents that occur when travelling that turn into a major financial loss for the traveller. Read real life examples on the Australian Government Smarttravller website.

Still not convinced, check out our top 5 reasons to take out travel insurance:

1. It could happen to you

It's perfectly understandable that some people pose the question "Why should I bother with travel Insurance, nothing will happen to me". Put quite simply, unexpected events do occur and could happen to anyone.

2. Overseas medical treatment is expensive

Falling ill or being injured while travelling can be very unpleasant, stressful and costly. Covering the cost of medical treatment if you become ill or have an accident abroad is prohibitive for many Australians.

• Daily hospitalisation costs in Southeast Asia regularly exceed $800.
• Medical evacuation costs from Bali have exceeded $60,000.
• Return of remains from Europe costs in excess of $10,000.
• Medical evacuations from the United States regularly range from
  $75,000 to $95,000 and can be up to $300,000.

* Figures sourced from Smarttraveller.gov.au
3. Cancellation of your travel plans

From time to time people are unlucky enough to have to cancel their trip or return home suddenly due to illness or death of a loved one. The last thing you need in this instance is the worry and financial burden of a last minute flight and lost deposits.

4. Personal belongings

Too often people discover that their luggage has been lost or delayed upon arrival at their destination or valuable personal items such as cameras and laptops are lost, stolen or damaged during their holiday. The right travel insurance policy can keep all such worries at bay.

5. Peace of mind

Travel insurance gives you the freedom to focus on your holiday and provides loved ones back home the peace of mind that should anything happen, you're covered.