Backpackers that are uninsured should be aware that they are jeopardising their parents’ home insurance and life savings .
According to Tom Griffiths, founder of gapyear.com, a quarter of backpackers that go on their year off trips leave the country with inadequate or no insurance at all. He warned: “We will at some point see a parent lose their house or have to downsize because they’ve had to pay for an emergency situation.”
He added that backpackers may buy cheaper insurance without comprehending the terms of it and also not realising that they need to be covered for such activities as adventure sports .
Recent research by American Express revealed that 16 per cent of gap year travellers think the safest place to store their money while abroad is in their pockets. Also, a YouGov poll found that eight million British holidaymakers have had personal property stolen in the last five years and that 12 per cent would put all their cash into a handbag or rucksack, which are prime targets for thieves.