£55 million spent treating sports injuries abroad

Britons accumulate medical bills totalling an average of £55million per year, after injuring themselves playing sport on holiday, new research from Direct Line travel insurance reveals.
 
Whilst on their travels, a third (31 per cent) of Brits have taken part in sporting activities and of these people, one in four (25 per cent) have experienced an injury.
 
Thirteen per cent were lucky enough to escape with just cuts and bruises, however one in ten (10 per cent) ended up with ligament damage or a sprain. Six per cent broke a bone or dislocated a joint and an unfortunate five per cent suffered deep cuts or lacerations. Three per cent suffered concussion or a head injury.
 
Three quarters (78 per cent) of those injured required medical attention to treat injuries.  Over half (58 per cent) had to cover the cost of the treatment themselves, with one in ten (12 per cent) having paid more than £100 and four per cent having had to spend over £250.  One in ten (ten per cent) left it to the NHS to pick up the tab for their treatment, waiting until they returned home to seek medical attention.
 
Tom Bishop, head of Direct Line travel insurance says: "It's fantastic to see that we are such an active nation, but with one in four Britons who play sports on holiday getting injured, this research highlights the importance of comprehensive travel insurance. Medical bills and any resulting delays returning home can be very costly, and sports such as skiing, may require additional cover, so travellers should check they have appropriate cover before setting off."
 
Taking the lead from the likes of Chris Froome, cycling is the most popular choice with nine per cent of holidaymakers cycling on their travels. This is closely followed by tennis, enjoyed by seven per cent of those surveyed, golf (six per cent) and water sports (five per cent).
 
Table One: top 10 sporting activities whilst on holiday
 
1. Cycling
2. Tennis
3. Golf *
4. Water skiing / wakeboarding
5. Horse riding
6. Go-karting *
7. Scuba diving
8. Canoeing / kayaking
9. Quad biking **
10. Skiing / snowboarding *
 
In addition to playing sport on holiday, Britons are set to spend over £5 billion attending sports events overseas in the next two years. Over 11 million travelling supporters will spend an average of £480.83 each seeking out sport around the globe, with foreign football matches being the most popular overseas sports event.
 
Direct Line's sporting activity checklist

Travellers should check the list of covered activities in their travel insurance policy documentation and bear these in mind when booking any last minute activities when away on holiday.

If travellers intend to partake in an activity not outlined in their policy booklet, they should call their travel insurer who may be willing to cover the activity for an additional premium.

If would-be sports enthusiasts are taking sports equipment away, they would be wise to think about additional insurance if the value exceeds the single item limit on their travel insurance policy. Travellers may find their home insurance covers it.