Backpackers warned over insurance apathy

Backpackers or people heading out of the country on holiday for an extended period of time are under more risk and need more protection from travel insurance, according to one specialist.

A spokesperson for STA Travel explained that the increasing popularity of skiing and adventure holidays, along with the number of people heading abroad to backpack around the world, means travel insurance is one of the most vital elements of preparation.

"Long-haul trips mean more expensive repatriation costs if the passenger has to be flown back to the UK," said the spokesperson.

"Along with this, any adventure holiday is just that, an adventure, this means doing something out of the original or off the beaten track, requiring services such as search and rescue."

She added that, with skiing and diving holidays, ski travel insurance or activity insurance is also necessary to cover the costs of mountain rescue or decompression tanks should anything go wrong.

"With any adventure holiday or long-haul trip there is more risk involved. These kinds of trips tend to be more expensive than a weekend jaunt to Europe, therefore more costly to cancel if necessary," she explained.