More than 3 million Britons travelled overseas without taking out travel insurance over the past 12 months.
Around 13% of holidaymakers decided not to buy travel insurance, according to a new report from Sainsbury's Bank.
Karen Preston, the company's travel insurance manager, said: "Travel insurance is essential for anyone going abroad, even if they are just planning a long weekend. Last year, we estimated that there could have been around 241,000 travel insurance claims for medical or hospital care alone.
"The largest number of travellers going on holiday without insurance seem to be the under 24s."
