One in five Brits going on holiday don’t bother taking out travel insurance, think that they are protected under another insurance policy such as health, or simply do not know if they are covered, new research shows.

According to the poll by Hiscox, 18 per cent of people assume that their travel agent or airline would compensate them for flight cancellation, but this can depend on the exact circumstances of the disruption, the insurer said.

While 21 per cent thought that a travel industry body would cover them for flight cancellation, this also depends on many factors such as how the flight was booked and if the airline is based in the EU.

One in four people assume they are covered by a travel policy from their bank account although these policies may not include financial protection if the accommodation provider goes bust.

Meanwhile, one in 10 people polled said they don’t know whether they would be covered for a medical emergency when on holiday.

Extreme sports holidaymakers are taking an even greater risk than they should, with a third only sometimes checking, or never checking, whether their travel insurance will cover them for the activity they are undertaking such as bungee jumping or white water rafting – activities which are not always covered as standard, according to the survey of 2,200 people.

Colin Wallace, insurance expert at Hiscox said: “Taking the time to think through your travel plans and what type of cover you need can help take the stress out of travel.”