Foreign Office unveils travel insurance awareness drive

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has launched an awareness campaign warning travellers of the dangers of going on holiday without insurance.

The film forms part of the government department’s “Know Before You Go” initiative, which encourages people going overseas to be better prepared for their trips.

The latest ad, which was produced in house and distributed to television stations, highlights the cost of getting medical treatment abroad if you travel without comprehensive insurance. It comes after research has revealed that almost a third of travellers do not take out insurance covering the activities they undertake while on holiday.

The film opens with a group of white-water rafters having an accident and focuses on all the elements that are required to treat them – including an airlift and hospital treatment.

To illustrate the mounting costs, each element has a price tag attached. The sequence ends with one of the injured men being given a bill for over &£14,000.

The public information film has been distributed to over 100 TV channels in 30- and 60-second formats. The FCO also wants to show the film at cinemas and at travel industry events. The public information films will be shown on donated airtime.

The Know Before You Go campaign was launched in 2001 and is supported by almost 200 companies in the travel industry.