Policies such as
cheap travel insurance are recommended for people planning on travelling this year, despite the financial pressures of the recession.
Research from Post Office Travel Insurance has revealed that 25 per cent of holidaymakers are planning to save money by not buying any kind of
worldwide travel insurance, leaving themselves open to a multitude of expenses if they have an accident.
Before the recession struck travel insurance was generally among the first purchases tourists and backpackers made in preparation for their trip, but holiday habits are shifting as people spend more carefully.
About 30 per cent of Britons are planning on a series of shorter breaks rather than one long one and many believe they'll be fine without insurance if their trip is shorter.
The reality is that the length of a trip overseas does not have as much relevance as whether people have medical coverage should they break their leg on a ski slope or have their belongings stolen from a hostel dormitory in Taiwan.
Backpackers could opt for
online travel insurance that offers coverage of around £2 million, as Tom Griffiths, founder of Gapyear.com, says expenses rarely surpass this figure.
Downunder - the market leaders in online
backpacker travel insurance.