The real risks of overseas travel

Travelling overseas may not seem like risky business to you, especially if you travel often, but the statistics may prove otherwise. According to Why all Australians should take out travel insurance before going overseas, a report provided by the Australian government, the following are true:

• The Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade deals with cases of deceased or injured Australians overseas everyday.
• There are 20,000+ cases of distressed Australians overseas per year (that's over 55 cases per day).
• There are 700+ cases every year of Australians who need to be hospitalised while overseas (that's about 2 cases per day).
• There are 600+ cases every year of Australians who die while overseas (that's 1-2 people per day).
• To return a body from Europe to Australia can cost over $10,000.
• There are 100+ cases every year of Australians who need to be evacuated for medical reasons while overseas (that's over 8 cases per month).
• Being evacuated from the U.S. can cost from $75,000 to $300,000.
• There are over 16,000 cases per year where Australians encounter illness or criminal activity against them while travelling overseas (that's almost 45 cases per day).

These statistics provide proof that travel insurance is important for a variety of reasons. Although you may be convinced that nothing bad will happen to you, in reality you may find yourself in a bad situation without any travel insurance, which can result in a large financial burden for you or your loved ones.