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Do Generations X and Y ignore travel insurance?

A new survey says that the oldest and wisest generations are most likely to purchase travel insurance before heading abroad.
Written by Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer

A new survey says that the oldest and wisest generations are most likely to purchase travel insurance before heading abroad.

The 30 - 39 -- otherwise known as Generation  X -- is apparently the worst when it comes to preparing for travels abroad. A survey conducted by travel insurance provider SureSave suggests that in Australia, out of 1,000 respondents, travelers aged over 60 were the most likely to cough up for travel insurance -- with only 13 percent stating they have ever left without it.

In contrast, Aussies aged between 30 - 39, Generation X, were the most likely to suffer from blessed arrogance, an invincibility complex or forgetfulness, with almost a quarter (24 percent) happily opting to go without insurance. 13 percent of Generation Y said they did not purchase travel insurance before heading abroad.

See also: Less luggage lost saved airlines billions last year

Out of the 1,000 Australian survey respondents, 30 percent of travelers did "not always" buy insurance, 12 percent "never or rarely" bothered, and 18 percent based their choice on the destination country.

SureSave executive general manager Michael Callaghan commented:

"Even a short stay in a U.S. hospital can cost a traveller tens of thousands of dollars if they're not protected. A travel insurance policy is a very small price to pay for coverage in the event that something goes wrong."

True enough. You often see footage of those abroad who have gotten into trouble, only for things to get worse when they are handed a hefty hospital bill afterwards. Perhaps this carefree mentality of younger generations is down to risk perception, where Generations Y and X are often attributed as more willing to take risk than their predecessors.

Via: Travel Blackboard

Image credit: Flickr

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This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com

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