Sales data reveals risk perception
Information given exclusively to ITIJ by UK-based Safe Journey Terrorism Travel Insurance has shown how the British public perceive the risk of a terrorist incident happening in their holiday destination. According to data from the company, the top 10 destinations to which British people are travelling and want terrorism travel insurance for their trip are:
1. Turkey
2. Spain
3. US
4. France
5. Italy/Egypt
6. Cyprus
7. Greece
8. UK/Republic of Ireland
9. Portugal/Morocco
10. Belgium/Israel
Safe Journey’s figures (covering the 12-week period 24 February to 17 July 2017) also show that despite repeated advice from the industry and the government, many people are not buying insurance until very soon before their trip commences.
Kate Huet, managing director of Safe Journey, commented on the sales data: “Terrorist events that have taken place in the same 12-week period as the above sales data mean that the UK currently ranks alongside Indonesia and the US for the highest number of terrorist attacks. All three countries rank joint second in the world in this period, exceeded only by Saudi Arabia as the country with the highest number of terrorist attacks, whose attacks were perpetrated mostly by Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda.
Until the attacks in London and Manchester, insuring travel in the UK for the risk of terrorism would not have made it into the sales top 10 and would have been in the bottom 10 out of the 100+ countries monitored for Single Trip policy destination sold.” The UK, in the last 12 weeks, ranks as World number one for deaths and injuries due to terrorist acts.
Huet added: “Turkey is suffering from Kurdish/Turkish conflict with the PKK and also attacks by ISIL, both organisations mostly attack the police, military and officials, no terrorist attacks have listed in this period, and no attacks have affected tourists. Spain has had no incidents in this period, so the above sales data will just reflect this is where Brits go on holiday and it serves to enforce that these travellers want to feel they have some extra financial protection. The same will no doubt apply to Portugal and Cyprus.”