Travellers urged to put insurance top of Christmas list

With less than a month to go until Christmas, many families are deciding where to spend the festive season. With as many as a million people likely to visit friends and family abroad, M&S Money suggests they put travel insurance at the top of their Christmas shopping list.

DIY holidays have become more popular than traditional package holidays in recent times, increasing by six million in just five years. Figures from M&S Money reveal that fewer than half of the Christmas trips abroad will be booked as a complete package from a travel agent.

The rise of independent travel makes insurance even more important, but further research reveals that 49% 6 of consumers don't know what their travel insurance covers them for. Most policies don't offer cover for the collapse of an airline, as thousands of people have found to their cost in recent months.

M&S Premier Travel Insurance now includes independent traveller cover as part of its annual multi?trip policy and it's an optional extra with single?trip and standard trip travel insurance. This means that people who book a holiday without using a tour operator will be covered if their flight is cancelled and if other parts of their holiday are affected.

Judith Roberts, M&S Money Insurance Manager, commented: "For most people Christmas is all about spending time with friends and family, even if that means making a trip abroad. Travel insurance was originally designed for the package holiday market and we felt it was time to improve our policy as so many people now book independently. For example, if your flight is cancelled you may be unable to claim for subsequent connections, and face the cost of new flights or accommodation. M&S Premier Travel Insurance is one of only a few policies that covers these type of situations that are often not included in traditional policies."

To apply for M&S Travel Insurance, visit marksandspencer.com/travelinsurance