According to recent research, travel insurance claims are most expensive in Mexico, costing an average of £3,000. The research conducted by Age Concern Travel Insurance also found that the United States had the second most expensive claims for travellers, costing on average, £2,850. Barbados came in third place, with a cost of £1,588.

Countries within the European continent, though cheaper, still had steep travel insurance claims, Malta and Cyprus came in fourth and fifth place, at £1,261 and £1,135 respectively. The cheapest place internationally for travel insurance claims was found to be Egypt, where claims against insurance premiums were £160. However the only European country, which had an average claim value of under £200, was Norway which was valued at £185.

Jeff Morris from Age Concern Insurance Services says: “Our claims data highlights just how expensive falling ill abroad can be. We’d like to remind people that they can protect themselves from these potential costs by taking out comprehensive travel cover - it provides financial security in case the holiday doesn’t go to plan for whatever reason.

He also added: “Our travel insurance offers cover tailored for the needs of older travellers. There are no upper age limits with Age Concern Travel Insurance and we aim to cover pre-existing medical conditions if possible. This will come as reassurance to the many older people who are well aware of the frustrations involved in obtaining cover.”