BASILDON, England -
- Survey Reveals That 18% of Travellers Have Been Pickpocketed
- Travellers Urged to be Vigilant and Make Sure They are Fully Covered
A recent survey commissioned for etravelinsurance.co.uk(i) found that 18% of those questioned had been pickpocketed whilst travelling abroad. The figure should serve as a stark warning to any travellers who remain complacent about the threat posed by pickpockets, particularly to tourists.
Whilst pickpocketing is not a threat exclusive to tourists it’s certainly true that travellers are more liable to be targeted. After all, tourists are more likely to be carrying valuable possessions and cash on their person and will be less familiar with their surroundings. It’s no coincidence that pickpockets tend to operate in popular tourist hot spots.
In fact a recent survey conducted by TripAdvisor (ii) seems to confirm the theory that pickpockets are particularly drawn to areas with a high concentration of tourists. Amongst the top ten destinations where pickpocketing was considered most prevalent, Barcelona (in particular Las Ramblas) topped a list that included some of the world’s best visited cities including Rome, Prague, Paris and Florence.
It’s crucial that travellers take the threat seriously - a stolen wallet or passport could ruin a great trip. As much as a holiday should be a time to leave your worries behind it’s sensible to tighten up this carefree attitude when it comes to looking after your valuables.
So what can you do to avoid being an inadvertent sitting duck for light fingered opportunists next time you’re on holiday? Precautions are generally pretty straightforward and common sense. Most obviously it really isn’t a good idea to leave bags gaping open invitingly, swan around in conspicuously expensive clothing or wave large amounts of cash around for all to see. Basically, try not to advertise yourself as an easy (and rewarding) target.
It’s equally important to make sure you’re protected should the worst happen. However vigilant you are there’s still a chance that you’ll find yourself having to make the best of a bad situation. For this reason a good travel insurance policy is vital. A spokesperson for etravelinsurance.co.uk commented:
“If you don’t want your holiday to be completely ruined in the event of having something stolen it’s imperative that you buy travel insurance cover whenever you travel. A good insurance policy gives you the reassurance that even in a nightmare situation like having your belongings stolen you will be able to make a claim for your losses.”(iii)
Notes
(i)Survey carried out by PR Precision on behalf of etraveinsurance.co.uk between 12th - 16th October 2009.
(ii)TripAdvisor list compiled by TripAdvisor’s travellers and editors.
(iii)A police report is required for any claim to be successful. See etravelinsurance.co.uk website for more information.
About Etravelinsurance.co.uk
Etravelinsurance.co.uk is a division of Drakefield Insurance Services Limited, an AA group company. We are based in Basildon, Essex, where the business has been trading since 1998.
We provide a range of travel insurance options to cover many types of holidays, including winter sports insurance ( www.etravelinsurance.co.uk/ski-travel-insurance.asp) and backpackers travel insurance, (www.etravelinsurance.co.uk/) which is especially designed to offer economical travel insurance cover for backpackers taking an extended trip abroad.
Drakefield Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Drakefield Insurance Services Limited is also a Member of the British Insurance Brokers Association and a Partner Member to ABTA The Travel Association.
www.etravelinsurance.co.uk
Source: Etravelinsurance.co.uk
Gina Rudd, Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Telephone +44-1268-592-172, etravelinsurance.co.uk
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