Financial protection 'a holiday essential'

The Department for Transport has urged travellers to add financial protection to their list of 'holiday must-haves' following research which found that many people fail to check this aspect of their trip when they book.

Some 57 per cent of respondents to a survey carried out by YouGov said that they don't always check if their holiday is protected when they make their reservation.

Nearly half (49 per cent) said they would not know where to go for guidance on what to do if their airline or travel provider went out of business and 43 per cent were unaware of how to get advice on whether their holiday is protected.

The government has set up a dedicated webpage designed specifically to provide information on financial protection for holidaymakers.

Transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: "Half of the people surveyed are planning a trip in the next 12 months so we want to ensure that holidaymakers have the right information about what they can do to protect their holidays.

"There are numerous types of financial protection available, so the launch of the 'holiday protection' information on Directgov aims to outline the facts and help you make the right decisions according to your travel plans."

Abta - The Travel Association recently said that holidaymakers do not need to be worried about travel agent collapses but stressed that it is "very important" to think about financial protection when making a booking.

Posted by Teddie, 29 April 2009 13:50

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