As the summer holiday season hits its peak, new research from AllClear Travel Insurance reveals a troubling shift in public perception: more British travellers are downgrading or removing their travel insurance cover altogether – with cost pressures driving risky decisions and misunderstandings about protection on holiday.
A new AllClear survey of 2,000 adults revealed that four in five UK holidaymakers (80%) say they will be cutting corners on areas of spend to have a cheaper summer holiday this year. And while hand luggage hacks and budget flights are becoming the norm, an increasing number of people are gambling on their health and finances – by either skipping travel insurance or choosing the cheapest cover available.
The number of people planning to travel abroad without any insurance has jumped from 9% to 15% since last summer and, for those that will take out travel insurance, there’s a significant upturn in the number of travellers opting for the cheapest travel policies available – rising from 20% to 30% in just 12-months.
Among those with pre-existing medical conditions, who are statistically more likely to need medical support abroad, the trend is even starker:
- 21% say they’ll travel without any cover;
- 30% will buy the cheapest policy available;
- 13% admit they wouldn’t disclose their full medical history in order to keep their policy premium down;
- For short haul holidays, one in five (20%) say they would skip travel insurance altogether -despite the potential for substantial medical bills.
“These decisions aren’t just about money – they’re about misunderstanding,” says Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at AllClear Travel Insurance. “Too many people are treating travel insurance like a commodity, rather than a safety net. But the reality is, you only realise the value of comprehensive travel cover when something goes wrong.”
AllClear’s new data paints a clear picture of how different groups are approaching travel insurance in 2025:
Over 55s – the most safety-conscious abroad
- Only 9% plan to travel abroad uninsured.
- 68% say they will always declare their full medical history when buying travel cover.
- Those looking to make savings on holiday costs will do this by going self-catering (38%) or using public transport at resort (36%) — not by risking their health or finances.
People with Medical Conditions taking unnecessary risks
- More than one in five (21%) say they will travel abroad with no cover in order to trim overall holiday spend.
- Many underestimate the risk, or wrongly assume that policies will still pay out even if they haven’t disclosed key medical details when buying travel cover. Less than one in two are aware non-declaration of medical conditions risks invalidating their travel insurance (49%).
Under 25s making the big cutbacks
- The age group most likely to take steps to cut back holiday spend this year (93%).
- Three in 10 (30%) would look to buy the cheapest travel cover. They were also the age group most likely to travel abroad with no cover at all (19%).
- This group is also more likely to cut out travel insurance before reigning in spend on dining out (14%), taking less luggage (16%), or going for a cheaper resort (15%).
- 22% believe “all travel policies are broadly the same.”
Garry Nelson adds: “These aren’t just abstract statistics – they reflect real-life risks. And for those with medical conditions, the stakes are even higher. At the peak time of the year for travel abroad, AllClear’s message is simple: cut costs where you can, but not where it counts. Travel insurance should be the last thing to drop from the checklist. Saving money on the wrong things can end up proving to be a dangerous false economy.”