Following a study by Sainsbury’s Travel that revealed that travellers taking short or last minute breaks often consider travel insurance lowest on their priority list, holidaymakers have been warned not to relegate the importance of the cover to the background.

Giving the advice Norwich Union reminded that travel insurance was very essential even for the shortest trips.

Sally Leeman from Norwich Union said that although people heading off on weekend breaks may be tempted to skip getting cover, it could end up being a costly mistake.

“Medical emergencies are the biggest single cause of travel claims,” she said, adding that the cost of an injury or consequences of an illness requiring hospitalisation and then repatriation could leave a traveller thousands of pounds of pocket.

“The average travel claim cost in 2006 was £716 and this is typically rising by six per cent a year so it makes very good sense to take out insurance before you go,” she added, even as she warned that the EHIC was not a substitute to travel insurance.

The expert also urged travellers hoping to make more than one trip abroad in a year to consider taking out annual insurance, as this could save them money and provide coverage for the whole year. This was particularly suitable for those who would make a last minute decision to travel abroad.

In another development, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has called on people hoping for a “gourmet experience” on their holidays to consider visiting Italy, Thailand or China.

Spokesperson for the organisation, Frances Tuke, said events like the recent Taste of Spain in London had captured people’s imagination and that they were increasingly looking to sample the cuisine of other cultures.