One in six (16%) buy the cheapest travel insurance policy, according to a new Opinium survey of 1,000 holidaymakers for Multitrip.com, a specialist travel insurance provider.
Cancellation claims are the second most common reason to claim on travel insurance, making up around one in six (16%) claims, but fewer than a third (31%) check their cancellation cover is enough to cover the cost of their holiday.
With the average seven-night holiday now costing £1,1422 per person, this can be an expensive mistake.
Less than one in three (32%) spending time researching and comparing travel insurance before buying and only one in three (35%) check what excess they will have to pay if they do need to claim.
Other key protections are also being overlooked. Only a third (34%) check that their luggage and contents are covered, just 29% check whether their policy includes cover for travel disruption, such as strikes, extreme weather, and only one in five (22%) check that activities they plan to do, such as diving or waterskiing, are included.
Christian Bennett from Multitrip.com said: “Buying travel insurance can feel like just another thing to tick off before you go away, but spending five extra minutes checking what's actually covered could save you thousands if something goes wrong."
He continues "The cheapest policy is only a bargain if it actually covers you. A policy that doesn't include your activities or enough cancellation cover isn't saving you money, it's just not providing the protection you need.”
Multitrip.com offers three levels of protection, Essential, Premier, and Premier Plus. Multitrip.com policies automatically provide cover for over sixty sports & activities, such as cycling, hiking, running, water skiing and scuba diving (terms, conditions and exclusions apply). Other activities can be added with an additional premium. Holidaymakers can add extra cover for Travel Disruption, Gadgets, or Winter Sports to a travel insurance policy to provide coverage for more specific travel needs.
Sources
1 Opinium online survey conducted with 2,000 nationally representative UK adults from 24-27 Feb 2026, of which over 1,016 holiday abroad at least once a year.
2 Nimblefins Data - https://www.nimblefins.co.uk/average-cost-holiday-abroad
