Trouble in paradise: 5 million Australians experience travel mishaps
From lost luggage to medical emergencies, travellers are facing complications, according to new research by Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,012 respondents revealed 1 in 4 Australians (24%) – equivalent to 5 million people – suffered a travel mishap in the past 12 months.
The research found 1 in 7 (15%) endured travel delays, 5% lost their luggage, while a further 5% misplaced another item.
A disturbing 4% of Aussies were scammed while travelling, and 2% – equivalent to 417,674 people – ended up in hospital.
In May, over 1.5 million people flew overseas – an increase of 14.7% on one year earlier, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Tim Bennett, insurance expert at Finder, said a surprising number of Aussies run into trouble while on holiday.
"Australian tourists are heading out in droves but millions get into trouble every year.
"Dream holidays are left in tatters when travel plans go awry.
"Without insurance a trip of a lifetime could quickly become a costly headache."
Finder's research found young holidaymakers were much more likely to get into trouble.
Almost 2 in 5 (38%) gen Z and 32% of gen Y have endured a travel mishap in the past 12 months, compared with only 16% of gen X and 15% of baby boomers.
Bennett said travel insurance should be part of every traveller's budget.
"No one thinks anything bad will happen to them but the research shows travel mishaps are quite common.
"While certain precautions can be taken, such as avoiding dangerous areas or keeping your personal belongings secure, there are plenty of things beyond our control.
"Travel insurance can help reimburse you for non-refundable parts of your trip or help you if you're injured or face an emergency," Bennett said.
| Have you experienced any of the following travel mishaps in the last 12 months? | |
|---|---|
| Travel delays | 15% |
| Losing luggage | 5% |
| Misplacing items | 5% |
| I was scammed | 4% |
| Missed my flight | 3% |
| Ended up in hospital | 2% |
| Credit card was skimmed | 2% |
| Theft (pickpocketed, items stolen) | 1% |
| Got in a car/motorbike accident | 1% |
| I was mugged | 1% |
| No, I have not had any travel mishaps | 76% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,012 respondents, May 2024 |
Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,012 respondents from May 2024.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics, an SAP company.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.