An increase in the number of bedbugs in Cairns, Australia, could encourage more people to seek
backpacker travel insurance.
The Cairns Post reports that the increase in international travellers and the region's tropical climate have combined to produce a greater number of the bugs in both budget and luxury accommodation.
Cases are falling now that more hotel staff are aware of the tell-tale signs of the bugs' presence, although the level of cleanliness does not indicate where they are likely to show up.
Bob Boneham, a pest exterminator and owner of Amalgamated Pest Control in Cairns, told the paper: "It doesn't matter how clean a place is - the bugs hitch a ride with the travellers and jump off."
Shane Olsen, operations manager at Cairns backpacker hostel Gilligans, said around three per cent of the site's 120 rooms had bedbug problems at any one time, with treatment for a single room costing around $500 (£237.54).
People concerned about having reactions to bedbug bites could buy
online travel insurance.
Cairns is a popular backpacker destination and offers access to the Great Barrier Reef.
Check out Downunder's quote engine for
cheap travel insurance to Oz.
