Don’t be too relaxed about risks of travelling

TAKING risky selfies and ignoring warnings to steer clear of cliff edges are some of the extreme situations travellers are putting themselves in.

And to make matters worse, new independent analysis commissioned on behalf of ING found 69 per cent of jetsetters who have experienced a mishap while overseas never or rarely took out travel insurance.

While these policies usually cost just a few hundred dollars for a month-long trip for one person, they’re an expense some travellers simply avoid.

ING head of wealth Cathy Duncan said failing to have travel insurance in your back pocket would leave you extremely vulnerable if something went wrong on your holiday.

You would not be covered if your luggage was lost or stolen, nor would you be reimbursed if travel arrangements were cancelled or rescheduled.

“A lot of people are often out of pocket as a result of one of these mishaps,” she said. “People should think about the type of holiday they are going to have and the risks around it, and to book it as soon as they can. If you book it too close (to leaving) there might be some restrictions to your cover.”

The analysis, which quizzed 1000 Australians, found one in five travellers have taken a risk to get the perfect travel holiday happy snap.

However, one in two Australians want to have a digital detox when they are away and go off the grid so they can truly relax.

Understandinsurance.com.au spokeswoman Lisa Kable urged jetsetters to book their travel insurance “at the same time they pay for their trip”.

“Purchasing travel insurance that includes cancellation at this time ensures travellers may be covered for an unexpected trip cancellation,” she said.

Ms Kable said research found three in four travellers aged 18-29 engaged in risky activities while on their holiday, including skydiving, skiing or riding a motorcycle or scooter.

“Travellers who choose to take a ‘thrilling’ getaway should check their travel insurance policy covers their particular activities,” she said.

Many people think if they do end up in a travel disaster the Australian Government will bail them out, which is incorrect.

Another area that might be excluded in a policy is stopover destinations, so make sure this is included if you break up your trip at a particular location.