If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel is one of the key take-outs of DFAT’s Consular State of Play report 2021/22 launched in Canberra. In launching the report Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tim Watts noted that with Australians taking to the skies again with over 1million departures every month, and with requests for consular support from Australians during 2021/22 almost tripling to 34,000, being prepared including with travel insurance matters more than ever.
AFTA CEO Dean Long was invited to attend the Report’s launch which contains some frightening statistics on Australian attitudes to international travel and insurance when travelling in a post-pandemic environment: 95% of Australians who have booked a trip overseas plan to take out travel insurance. 1 in 10 travellers under 30 are most at risk of travelling uninsured, actively rejecting the idea of taking out travel insurance regardless of the destination. Of those taking out insurance, more than half are at risk of travelling underinsured as they have not personally read the fine print in detail. Almost half identified 1 or more occasions when a person travelling overseas might not need travel insurance particularly travellers under 30. Up to two-thirds may still travel despite Government advice not to.
Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) CEO Dean Long said: “With more than 80% of all international travel booked through one of our member travel agents and tour operators, AFTA welcomes the release of this year’s State of Consular Play report and its insights.”
“The report confirms that 95% of Australians who have booked a trip will take out travel insurance and, with our ATAS-accredited businesses the Number One distributor of Travel Insurance, travel professionals can and should be very proud of our role in keeping Australians travelling safely and with the appropriate and essential level of insurance protection.” “If you can’t afford travel insurance, you simply shouldn’t be travelling.” “Plus, by booking through an ATAS business, you have the additional confidence of knowing you are dealing with the very best.”
