The most expensive winter sun destinations to fall ill in, revealed

Don’t fall ill in Dubai or Tenerife! Research from Gigasure has found they are amongst the most expensive holiday destinations for medical treatment.

Many travellers are escaping the UK winter in search of sun but holidaymakers could find themselves £10,000–£21,000 out of pocket for common medical emergencies. Gigasure looked at the top five most popular winter sun holiday destinations and analysed the cost of seeking medical treatment in those countries without travel insurance in place.

The destinations below recorded some of the highest average medical treatment costs for common illnesses and injuries:

The data shows that common medical claims across winter sun destinations include pneumonia and bronchitis, gastroenteritis, heart issues, fractures and head injuries. For example, in Tenerife, claims for COPD averaged £8,500, in Barbados, respiratory infections averaged £10,000, in the USA, respiratory infections averaged £5,000, and in Dubai, treatment for heart-related conditions reached £21,000.

Failing to declare medical conditions can be costly. Research from Gigasure also found that almost a quarter (24%) of holidaymakers intentionally avoid disclosing pre-existing medical conditions when purchasing travel insurance to save money. The reasons: 20% believed their condition wasn’t relevant, 18% were unsure what needed to be declared, 17% worried disclosure could lead to being denied cover, 13% were willing to take the risk and deal with consequences later. Insurance experts warn that failing to declare a medical condition can invalidate a policy, meaning travellers may be forced to cover medical bills themselves, even for common illnesses.

Gary Murphy, travel insurance expert, Gigasure, says: “Being uninsured in any foreign country is costly, but as our research highlights, some winter sun destinations will leave travellers with significantly higher medical bills than others if they need treatment. In places like Dubai or the USA, even relatively common medical conditions can result in five-figure bills.

“We know many travellers are choosing not to disclose pre-existing medical conditions through fear of increasing the cost of their policy, which could effectively leave them uninsured. No one wants to think about something going wrong on holiday, but being uninsured could cost you tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of pounds, so why take the risk?”

Image provided by Canva

Alicia Ward