Holidaymakers hit by 50pc rise in insurance costs

Travel insurance costs have soared by as much as 50pc this summer in a further blow to tourists already facing an expensive and chaotic holiday season. 

The average premium for a single holidaymaker in Turkey – one of the cheapest summer destinations in Europe – has jumped by 53pc since 2019 to £30.45 according to the price comparison site Confused. America was close behind, where the average travel insurance cost has surged 48pc to £81.18. Spain ranked third, with a 46pc increase to £27. 

In France, travel insurance premiums were up 29pc to an average of £25.67. That compared with just an 8pc rise in Italy, where the average was £26.47. 

Insurance premiums have climbed significantly since the pandemic, when governments around the world banned international travel. 

Overall, the average premium for travel insurance has jumped 24pc to £34.89 compared with the last summer of restriction free travel in 2019, according to price comparison site GoCompare. 

Ceri McMillan, of the firm, said that lingering effects of the pandemic had distorted the insurance market. “During the pandemic a number of key insurance underwriters left the market, and some insurance brands also left,” she said. “There is now less competition, which has led to higher premium prices.

“The pandemic also brought with it a focus on ‘Covid cover’, which also inevitably added to premium prices.” she added. 

Rising insurance costs come as holidaymakers are facing a summer of travel chaos, with flight cancellations and delays at major airports. 

British Airways has suspended ticket sales on short-haul flights from Heathrow, after the airport introduced a limit of 100,000 departing passengers. 

Meanwhile, holidaymakers are facing chaos at the Port of Dover as officials struggled to manage traffic flow, with queues building up to longer than an hour.