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Alarming new statistics relating to British holidaymakers in Australia have revealed that the only two countries where visitors from Britain are more likely to be robbed are Jamaica and Egypt.

British visitors are also more likely to lose their passport – or have it stolen – in Australia than in Morocco, Bulgaria or Poland.

In fact, for every 100,000 Brits visiting Australia, 1220.16 lose or have their passport stolen – which is more than the rate for Morocco, Bulgaria and Poland combined.

Australia also ranked third highest for thefts per 100,000 visits, at 3.45, just behind Jamaica at 5.65 and Egypt at 4.16.

The British UK price comparison website MoneySuperMarket analysed its own and Gov.uk data and named Australia as the riskiest place for English tourists to head for a holiday.

It conducted a study of 2000 British respondents to determine their attitudes towards purchasing travel insurance, including the countries where they are more likely to take a risk and go without insurance, and the key reasons why.

While almost all (99%) of Brits surveyed opted for insurance on their trip to Australia, it’s unlikely many did so for fear of getting their passport stolen. Some were in for a surprise.

Australia ranked third highest for thefts per 100,000 visits, at 3.45, just behind Jamaica at 5.65 and Egypt at 4.16.

The Netherlands is perceived as the most trustworthy holiday destination outside of the UK for Brits, with 29% of travellers heading there not investing in travel insurance. Denmark and Belgium were also seen as safe. However, the analysis of risks found that the Netherlands scores the second-highest local disaster rate of 8%, coupled with the above-average flight delay times of 23%, make opting out of travel insurance a risky choice.

Anna Sant, travel insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “While we all hope our holidays go without a hitch, travel insurance is a great safety net for those occasions when things do go wrong. You should try to take out insurance as soon as possible after booking your trip, as policies can cover the costs of unexpected cancellations or other difficulties before you leave.”

The MoneySuperMarket study can be examined here.

Edited by Peter Needham