Lost passports are costing Britons on holiday large amounts of time and money, Halifax has revealed.
Half a million Britons lose their passports abroad each year, Halifax Travel Insurance has revealed today.
The losses were found by the travel insurance firm to be causing heavy costs in both time and money for holidaymakers. Around £389 million per year is lost by the tourists who either misplace their passports or have them stolen, and a collective 1.7 million days is also wasted through return trips being delayed as the holidaymakers await official replacement documents.
Halifax also said that the most common place to lose or have a passport stolen was in "crowded" tourist attractions, where pickpockets are more numerous. The airport was shown to be the second most-likely place.
The importance of taking out a travel insurance policy which covers the costs of these passport mishaps was also highlighted by the insurer today. "Losing your passport abroad is a guaranteed nightmare and we always advise taking several photocopies of the back page with you, just in case something happens to it," Paul Birkhead at Halifax Travel Insurance commented.
"This can help to speed the process up and avoid delays on the return leg of your trip, which is not only costly, but can cause serious hassle - especially if you're due back at work. Of course if you have a decent travel insurance policy then it is likely that much of the expense will be covered by your insurer."
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