Have adventures, not regrets

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade partnered with the Insurance Council of Australia to research Australians’ sentiments around travel, travel insurance, and Smartraveller.

The research found that Smartraveller is a trusted source of advice. But it also found that Australians still take unnecessary risks when they head overseas, especially with travel insurance.

Travel doesn’t always go to plan. It’s essential to know the risks and ensure you’re covered if things go wrong.

Insurance isn’t an optional extra

Travel insurance is as vital as your passport. An unexpected accident or illness can cost many 1000s of dollars.

Yet two in five (41%) Australians consider travelling overseas without insurance. This rises to

• 54% for travellers under 30
• 46% for those with a household income of less than $100,000.

One in seven (15%) recent travellers without insurance said they didn’t get it because of the cost. But if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.

The most common reason (24%) for Australians considering travel without insurance was going somewhere they see as safe. This could be because they’ve been there before, have family there, or just feel it’s a safe country. Travel insurance covers the unexpected, such as:

• accidents
• theft, loss and damage of valuables
• illness
• cancellations.

These can happen anywhere. Even if the country you’re travelling to is safe. Get travel insurance no matter where you’re going or what you’re doing.

Smartraveller is a valuable tool

67% of travellers visited Smartraveller before travelling overseas.

Almost all who visited Smartraveller felt it made them more:

• aware of risks (94%)
• equipped to manage risks when travelling (92%).

But 67% of travellers said they might still travel somewhere with an advice level of ‘reconsider your need to travel‘. And 27% said they might still travel to a ‘do not travel’ destination.

What do our advice levels mean?

• At level 3 – ‘reconsider your need to travel’, there are serious and potentially life-threatening risks.
• At level 4 – ‘do not travel’, your health and safety may be at extreme risk.

The help the Australian Government can provide in level 3 and 4 destinations may be limited. Your travel insurance may also not be valid.

Read more about our travel advice levels.