The founder of gapyear.com has urged backpackers to ensure they have adequate travel insurance, as otherwise their parents' home is potentially at risk.
Although the claim from Tom Griffiths may sound like an exaggeration, he points out that foreign medical costs for a life-saving operation in the wake of an accident could hit £50,000, a sum that many parents would not be able to afford without drastic action. He believes a case will eventually take place where a backpacker's parents have had to sell their house to pay for treatment.
Mr Griffiths said: "[Uninsured travellers] don't actually realise that they are putting their parents' home and life savings at risk."
While highlighting the risks of travelling abroad without insurance, Mr Griffiths added that backpackers need to ensure that the insurance they do get is suitable for everything they plan to do, such as specific extreme sports.
With destinations such as New Zealand and Australia becoming increasingly popular amongst young people,
backpacker travel insurance is a good way to ensure accident cover.
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