‘The Travel Insurance Expert’ urges backpackers to ensure they are covered

ESSEX, UK. September 30th, 2024 - ‘The Travel Insurance Expert’ Ian Jennings has advised young people and their parents to be ‘SMART’ and ensure they have adequate cover before travelling on backpacking trips this autumn.

Ian, who runs his own travel insurance business and set out on his own backpacking trip 30 years ago this month, has urged travellers to check their level of cover and make sure there are no loopholes in their policy before heading away.

As well as being known as 'The Travel Insurance Expert', Ian started Explorer Travel Insurance in 2011 and has just released the ‘SMART Backpacker Checklist’, a free downloadable PDF to help travellers find the right level of cover they need.

The guide is based around a SMART checklist - Sort it now, Medical Expenses, Activities and Work, Return Home, and Tech/Gadgets. It includes clear, simple and actionable advice such as ensuring there is at least £1m of health cover included in the policy, checking that the policyholder is covered if they work while they are away and that it does not automatically stop as soon as travellers return to the UK, even if they are planning to head away again before it expires.

Ian said: “It’s always important to have travel insurance whenever you go abroad, but it is particularly important for backpacking holidays where the risk of illness or injury is higher.

“The chances are that you are planning to visit multiple countries and enjoy activities like scuba diving and white water rafting. While these experiences will create lifelong memories, we cannot hide from the fact that they have an element of risk attached to them.

“If something goes wrong, you need to be satisfied that your insurer will protect you. In the UK we are very fortunate to have access to free healthcare on the NHS, but that is a rarity in the rest of the world.”

Ian created the SMART checklist to give backpackers peace of mind when travelling.

He added: “The checklist covers essential backpacker insurance aspects that may not have been thought of and may not apply to a standard annual policy for travelling on a European break, for example.

“The idea is to ensure that backpackers do not get caught out with an inadequate level of cover because the dream trip can soon become a nightmare if they do not protect themselves adequately.”

Explorer Travel Insurance specialises in offering great value Single Trip, Annual Multi Trip, Winter Sports, Cruise as well as Backpacker travel insurance. 

Explorer’s Backpacker Travel Insurance covers over 100 adventure activities as standard with the option to add protection for another 70 additional and more hazardous pursuits. It also covers up to £10m in medical expenses and offers 24 hour emergency assistance as well as Gadget, Return Home and Terrorism cover as standard.

For more information visit www.backpacksmartchecklist.com.

ENDS