Italy tops list for travel insurance claims as Aussies pack their bags for the northern summer

A major travel insurer has revealed where Australians are most likely to run into strife in the European summer but it’s unlikely to stop us visiting.

Photographing St Mark’s Basilica in Venice ended badly for one Australian tourist who ran up a $42,000 medical bill after breaking a leg. Picture: Andy Toulson

Italy’s popularity among Australian travellers is not without its pitfalls, with the country ranked as the leading European nation for travel insurance claims.

Medibank data revealed customers made more claims in Italy than the UK, Greece, France or Spain, with the most common issues related to medical episodes, hospital stays and stolen or lost luggage and personal effects.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade statistics showed Italy was also where more Australian passports went astray than anywhere else in the world.

According to Medibank, its two highest travel insurance claims made by Australians in Europe last year were in Italy, for sums of $67,000 and $42,000.

The most expensive claim related to a traveller who contracted pneumonia and was then found to have lymphoma requiring chemotherapy and a lengthy hospital stay.

In the second most expensive claim, the customer broke their leg while taking photographs outside of St Mark’s Basilica. They were transported to hospital in Venice for surgery and then repatriated home to Australia.

Medibank chief customer officer Milosh Milisavljevic said the claims highlighted the importance of taking out a travel insurance policy before a European summer getaway.

“Unfortunately, things can sometimes go wrong on holidays, but your travel insurance policy could help cover you for things like lost luggage and cancelled flights, right through to medical coverage in international hospitals,” Mr Milisavljevic said.

“Our most expensive claim payout during last year’s European summer period was $67,000 but the average was around $1500, which shows the value of travel insurance on smaller inconveniences in addition to more serious medical claims.”

The Amalfi coastline in Italy is a major drawcard for travel hungry Australians. Picture: iStock

Bureau of Statistics data showed Italy was consistently attracting more Australian visitors than before the pandemic, with more than 130,510 people making short-term visits in the 2023 northern summer compared to 106,420 in 2019.

The Australian Travel Industry Association confirmed Italy remained in strong demand in 2024, aided by non-stop Qantas flights from Perth to Rome.

ATIA chief executive Dean Long said across the board travel demand was powering along, with ticket sales through travel agents up 7 per cent in May compared to the same time last year.

“That represented 128,000 additional tickets sold in May but at the same time revenue was up only 1.2 per cent to $1.45bn because airfares are coming off across all classes,” Mr Long said.

“We’re still above pre-pandemic pricing by some margin but they are coming down.”

He said Italy’s popularity was probably the main reason for the greater number of travel insurance claims than other European countries, but travellers should always be aware of their surroundings in any foreign place.

“If you go to high tourist areas there is some increased risk of those looking to take advantage of people who aren’t locals and may be more interested in what’s going on around them, than self awareness,” Mr Long said.

“I think the good thing is now with some of the technology apps we’re seeing a reduction in other types of scams. Italy was renowned for some of the longest routes for the shortest distances in taxis but third-party platforms like Uber and Google Maps make some of those historical things less common.”

Originally published as Italy tops list for travel insurance claims as Aussies pack their bags for the northern summer