The Foreign Office is now warning consumers to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico - meaning holidaymakers will be able to claim cancelled trips on their travel insurance.
Travel insurance customers have been issued new advice on trips to Mexico following a change in policy from the Foreign Office.
An outbreak of swine flu in the country - which has now appeared in the UK and a number of other states - has now led to the Foreign Office changing its advice on travelling to the country. Britons are now advised against all non-essential trips.
This change of stance from the government means that travellers who cancel their trip to Mexico should be able to claim it back on their travel insurance policy. "If the government advises against travelling to a particular country or region, check your travel policy, as some may cover cancellation costs in these circumstances, although policies vary," explained Nick Starling, director of general insurance and health at the Association of British Insurers.
Mr Starling added that if people decide to take a holiday elsewhere, then "travel insurance policies will usually cover the new destination".
As a result of the outbreak, a number of holiday operators - including Thomson, First Choice and Thomas Cook - have cancelled flights to Cancun in Mexico. The first confirmed cases of the disease in the UK were a Scottish couple who had taken their honeymoon in Cancun.
