employment 4 students - The UK's most visited student jobsite

Menu

Gap year insurance risks

11 Jun 2007

Gap year insurance risks Many school-leavers don't make proper travel insurance plans for their gap years - even though they are taking very valuable items with them.

A recent survey by Direct Line indicated that of those 77,000 students planning to go traveling in their gap year before university, some 31 per cent hadn't thought about travel insurance.

This is despite the fact that many were planning to take part in risky activities such as scuba diving and white-water rafting.

Carmel McCarthy, spokesperson for Direct Line, said: "Students are taking more and more valuable items with them when travelling and it's important they have the right insurance in place when doing so.

"Personal possessions account for quite a large percentage of the claims we get from the gap year."

With the swift technological developments of recent years, more students are choosing to take valuable mobile phones and MP3 players with them abroad, as well as digital cameras and other expensive electronic equipment.

Ms McCarthy continued: "It's always important to keep cash separate from your personal possessions so if you do have an emergency, you can actually phone home."

Many students may be hoping to save the pennies by foregoing travel insurance altogether.

Recent research by STA Travel indicated that the number of students taking gap years was falling - and financial worries were cited as a major factor in this decline.

Find your perfect job now!

Register now to let employers find you and be notified about the latest relevant jobs