A new survey by Moneysupermarket insurance has revealed that too many UK holidaymakers are prepared to risk travelling without buying travel insurance.

With so many destinations available at the click of a mouse and cheap internet deals easy to come by, it appears that many are neglecting to protect themselves and their belongings against the most common holiday emergencies. A staggering one in five of us travel without insurance, and half of those do so intentionally with the rest forgetting put cover in place. Men are worst with 12% deliberately travelling uninsured compared to nearly 9% of women. Alarmingly, 4% of those surveyed admitted that they never take out any travel insurance cover.

Director of insurance at Moneysupermarket.com, Richard Mason, said... "With the prospect of spending a few days in the sun, it appears travel insurance is the last thing on the mind of some British holidaymakers. Whilst they might think nothing will happen to them while away, travel insurance is vital for claiming on cancellations, lost cash, public liability and providing emergency medical treatment. It gives you added peace of mind should anything go wrong."

The research also showed that UK travellers in their twenties are most likely to travel intentionally uninsured (13%). Of those that do invest in a travel insurance policy, the survey reveals that 52% of the respondents shop around and find their own policy using internet research whilst 14% buy the insurance policy offered by their travel agent.

Richard Mason added... "It was encouraging news for consumers when the FSA announced that, from 2009, the sale of all travel insurance will be regulated. For those still taking out policies when they buy their holiday, for example through a travel agent, regulation in terms of price and suitability will be welcome. I urge holidaymakers to travel with insurance by researching the level of cover you need then shopping around for a competitive price."

For a comprehensive list of UK travel insurance providers and price comparison websites, visit the Travel Insurance Companies Index.