It comes as the association releases new warnings about the dangers of travelling abroad without insurance, with holidaymakers running the risk of huge medical bills – sometimes totalling thousands of pounds.

Abta said the numbers travelling overseas uninsured were similar to last year’s figures, when 22% travelled overseas uninsured.

However, it added that there had been a notable rise in young holidaymakers travelling uninsured. A third (33%) of 16-24 year olds are travelling uninsured, up from 22% in 2014.  

A third (32%) of 25-34 year olds are also travelling uninsured, making these two age groups the most at risk should something go wrong.

The association acknowledged that confusion among young holidaymakers over what a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) offers may be partly responsible for them not taking out insurance.

More than one in five (22%) of 16-24 year olds believe that they don’t need travel insurance because they have an EHIC. However, Abta warned that while EHICs, which need to be renewed every five years, offer access to emergency state medical care throughout most of Europe, it insisted that an EHIC card was not a substitute for travel insurance.

EHICs will not cover the cost of repatriation to the UK in an air ambulance, private medical care or additional expenses, such as accommodation for family staying in resort, it added.
 
Abta said financial constraints were likely responsible for the increase in numbers travelling uninsured - 30% of all respondents with children said that cost was the principal reason they don’t take out travel insurance.
 
However, there does appear to be a growing awareness, however, that the government will not foot the bill in a medical emergency. Only 11% now think that the Government will settle their medical bills - down from 14% in 2014.

This message is also getting through to the younger generation with 16% of 16-24 year olds believing this, down from 19% in 2014, and a further 19% of 25-34 year olds, down from 23% in 2014.
 
Mark Tanzer, Abat chief executive, said: “It is a real concern that we see so many travellers telling us that they have recently gone overseas without travel insurance. Every year we come across tragic incidents of people having accidents or falling ill overseas without travel insurance and then having to pay bills which can quickly run into thousands of pounds.

“Often they are younger travellers and their families are left with the burden of having to pick up the bill. Whatever your financial circumstances may be, avoiding taking out travel insurance is a very false economy.”