Travel insurance warning for gap-year students

Students about to embark on their gap year should ensure they are covered for all eventualities by taking out a travel-insurance policy, one company has warned.

STA Travel has stated that an insurance policy is necessary for all trips, but can be especially important in the case of gap-year students.

A spokesperson for the company remarked that people who travel further afield or to a more secluded part of the world are more expensive to repatriate in the event of illness or an accident.

'Learning holidays are life changing but the initial cost can be quite high; it is imperative that the passenger covers themselves against potential costs if they were forced to cancel due to circumstances outside their control,' she said.

Gapyear.com statistics show that around 25% of young travellers go abroad without an adequate policy or any insurance at all, which could be putting their parents' financial security at risk.

The spokesperson for STA Travel added that if gap-year students intend to take part in more adventurous activities, such as kite-surfing, they must check they are properly covered for the activity under the terms of their insurance policy.