10 activities your standard Travel Insurance is unlikely to cover you for

Ernesto Suarez, CEO, Gigasure 

Have you ever been parasailing while on holiday? Or perhaps deep-sea diving or kayaking is more your thing. While many of us would assume we are covered for these activities through our travel insurance, chances are that we are not. There are some popular holiday activities that many standard travel insurance policies won’t cover you for. 

The number of disputed travel insurance claims is on the rise, with recent statistics showing that travel insurance complaints are at their highest levels in over a decade. It’s clear that there is a growing discrepancy between what we assume we are covered for while on holiday, versus what we are not. So that travellers can continue to embrace new experiences while abroad, they should always double check the wording on their policy to ensure they are covered for the activities they plan to do.  

Travellers should always have the flexibility to participate in the activities they want to while on holiday. This is where the best memories are made. However, growing numbers of travellers get caught out. While lots of popular activities are covered by a standard travel insurance policy, they may only be covered up to a certain level. It's therefore important to check the small print and ensure you are protected for the activity you plan to enjoy. 

Some travel insurance providers will allow you to add additional and immediate cover for specific activities once you start your trip. Gigasure allows travellers to do this quickly through our app. Other providers will allow you to add additional cover, which may take a couple of days for this to kick-in, and some won’t allow you to amend the policy once your trip has started. Gigasure policies are customisable and are designed to fit in with the customers journey, not the other way around.  

Holidays are about new experiences and making memories. We stress the importance of knowing exactly what you are and are not covered for. Many don’t realise they aren’t covered for an activity until they try to make a claim.  

Here are 10 holiday activities that you may assume you’re covered for, but are not:  

1. Cycling – it may be covered if using a bicycle to tour around, but if you are racing, this wouldn't be covered as a standard activity. Likewise, mountain biking, BMX tracks and off-road riding cover may not be offered with a standard policy and may require an additional level of cover.  

2. White water rafting – white rafting of grade 1-3 may be covered, but anything graded 4-6 normally requires extended cover 

3. Scuba diving – is normally only covered on standard policies up to a depth of 30m, anything beyond this depth requires additional cover.  

4. Quad biking – a popular activity but it is not generally covered by standard travel insurance policies and may require extended cover.  

5. Parasailing – parasailing over water may be covered, but many standard travel insurance policies won’t cover you for parasailing over land 

6. Motor boating – bear in mind that you may only be covered for motor boating if you are a passenger. Drivers may require additional cover.  

7. Horse jumping – while horse riding is often covered as standard, horse jumping may not be. 

8. Kite surfing - in water, it may be covered, but over land, it may not be and could require additional cover. 

9. Trekking  - If travellers stick to recognised routes, they are covered as standard but trekking at altitudes above 3,000 metres may need additional cover.  

10. Skydiving – may not be covered under standard policies although some may extend cover if doing as a tandem with an experienced instructor in Europe. If you're planning to do this solo or outside or Europe, you may need to buy a more specialist policy.