The findings highlighted the most popular destinations for holidaying Brits this year. Spain, a perennial favourite in previous years thanks to cheap flights and sunshine, has been further boosted this year by the strength of the pound against the euro. Respondents in Northern England, Scotland and Wales overwhelmingly cited Spain as their destination of choice this year; travellers living in the south favoured the USA by a small margin. Other favourites included France, Italy, Portugal and Greece. The table below shows the results in full.

The study also produced notable findings in respect of travel insurance. Travellers from the North of England are more likely to purchase medical insurance than those from the South, with 78 per cent having already bought, or intending to buy, a policy.

Even more striking is the fact that many of the UK’s preferred holiday destinations are countries with the highest medical care costs – and, therefore, the most expensive claims. The table below details the highest average claims per country.

The report also notes the highest individual claims recorded by AllClear – including a medical bill of £168,644 run up in the US (one of four North American claims in excess of £100,000), and a bill of £69,009 amassed in Greece.

“We know that there are individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions but take the risk of travelling without insurance,” said Mike Rutherford of AllClear.

“Yet some of our most popular holiday destinations are also the ones that will cost you the most if you fall sick while you’re away, especially if you are not properly insured. The cost of an average premium (£250) pales into insignificance against the average cost of a claim.”