Majority of UK travellers won’t buy insurance if it doesn’t cover Covid-19

The survey, conducted by UK comparison site Medical Travel Compared (MTC), found that of more than 3,000 people, 10 per cent have lost all or some of the cost of a holiday due to Covid-19; and four in five expect travel insurers to cover cancellation of a holiday due to the coronavirus. Three-quarters said they wouldn’t buy insurance if such cover wasn’t included.  

Tommy Lloyd, Managing Director of MTC, said this could mean that many people will run the risk of travelling uninsured once the restrictions on overseas holidays are lifted. 

Of the 40-plus travel insurance providers MTC usually works with, only nine are currently listed on its site as the others have all withdrawn their travel policies or have withdrawn medical cover for Covid-19. However, even those that include medical cover for Covid-19 aren't providing cover for Covid-19 travel disruption, including cancellations, he said. 

"We were not surprised that 75 per cent of Brits claim they won't take out travel insurance if Covid-19 cancellations are not covered and that a third will be looking for specific Covid-19 cover in the future," Lloyd told online site TravelMole. 

"We have all come to the realisation that coronavirus is a virus that we have to live and work alongside now and into the future, which is why we are working with our providers to find solutions and provide policies or add on services that offer travellers the protection that they are seeking – otherwise there's a real concern that a lot of people may travel without any insurance."