Gappers ignore insurance warnings
Around 70 per cent of people planning to take a gap year see travel insurance as unnecessary, according to the Foreign Office. This is incredible, as ‘gappers’ are just the type of people to indulge in extreme sports such as rock climbing, bungee jumping and jet skiing, and all probably while they’re intoxicated or recovering from a hangover.
Meanwhile, the statistics show that the biggest threats to those aged between 18 and 35 are illness, theft and road accidents.
Recently, I was talking to a gap year student who told me that he was planning a round-the-world trip but wouldn’t buy insurance, because he didn’t expect to get ill and therefore it would be a waste of money. That’s just about the most ludicrous argument I’ve ever heard.
You don’t buy travel insurance in the misguided hope that something bad will happen and therefore you’ll get your money’s worth. You buy it for peace of mind, so that you can sleep easy knowing that if you have an accident, it won’t cost you a fortune.
If you’re tempted to go abroad without insurance I’ve got one word for you – Don’t. It isn’t worth saving the paltry premium it will cost you for comprehensive cover.
Guest Article by Jeremy Skidmore
Monday, April 9th, 2007
