Travellers warned to be careful with money

Travellers are being warned to be careful when it comes to managing money, obtaining the right travel documents and abiding by local laws when visiting new destinations.

Gocompare.com is urging people to plan ahead, following the publication of ABTA’s 2016 Travel Trends report, which shows that 18 per cent of Brits are planning to visit a country they’ve never been to before.

The report stated that some of the top destinations in 2016 include Abu Dhabi, China, Hawaii, Iran, Peru and Sri Lanka.

Alex Edwards, from Gocompare.com Travel Insurance, commented: “The culture, laws and criminal justice systems of some of the destinations highlighted by ABTA’s report are very different to the UK. So, it is crucial tourists understand and respect the local traditions, customs and laws of the country they are visiting to ensure they don’t cause offence or act illegally; otherwise, the penalties can be severe.”

With this in mind, the insurer is urging travellers to make sure they are covered against medical expenses, lost baggage and documents, flight cancellations and delays.

In addition, there are some countries that are mainly cash economies, with limited use of ATMs and credit cards. This means that travellers are likely to be carrying much larger sums of money – which is an additional risk.

The majority of travel insurance policies cover loss, theft or damage to personal money and documents. However, this amount will be capped, so to avoid losing out on money you need to be sure that you know the terms of your policy.