The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has reiterated the value of taking out travel insurance, after a recent study revealed that 19% of UK travellers don’t bother to buy cover.

The FCO pointed out that you can buy a  standard single trip insurance policy for less than £6 – significantly less than the average amount spent on magazines and sweets at airports.

According to the FCO’s latest ‘British Behaviour Abroad’ report, British tourists reported 27,272 incidents involving lost or stolen passports between April 2009 and March 2010.

FCO minister Jeremy Browne commented: “Helping out Britons in trouble abroad is part of our job, but we can’t get you out of jail or pay your hospital bills.

“A bit of preparation before you go, such as arranging travel insurance and checking our website, will ensure you get the most out of your trip without bad memories and big bills.”

One easy way to obtain insurance is to open a current account that also provides travel cover.

According to research by Defaqto, 81% of packaged current accounts offer travel insurance, but holidaymakers should compare bank accounts carefully to ensure they get cover that suits their circumstances.