A number of holidaymakers are “not understanding travel insurance importance” it has been claimed.

According to travel insurance provider, InsureandGo, many holidaymakers that participate in adventure sports such a skiing and snowboarding, fail to understand to understand the importance of purchasing travel insurance.

Perry Wilson of the insurance firm said: "For example, you know that if you are going skiing, it is going to cost £6,000 if you break a leg in France to come back…If it was anything serious, you would be talking hundreds of thousands of pounds."

He said that approximately a third of holidaymakers do not purchase travel insurance, mistakenly thinking "I'm fit, I'm 18, I come under the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) system.”

However, Wilson warned that an EHIC does not act as travel insurance and will not cover them in the event of an accident.

He said that the card provides only basic treatment and warned that "In places like Cyprus, it is very basic where they just patch you up and that's it."

Meanwhile, according to the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA), there is a growing number of Brits intending to go on cruises.

Spokesperson, Penny Guy of the PSA said: "There's a lot of advertising going on at the moment and the value for money is exceptional in comparison with many other types of land-based holidays."