OREANDA-NEWS. September 01, 2010. The largest volume of insurance compensations pertains to popular tourist destinations and ski resorts: Turkey, Egypt, Austria and Thailand, which are traditionally notable for the largest quantity of insured accidents, reported the press-centre of ROSNO.

In 2009, the TOP 3 countries in terms of the number of insured accidents and size of compensations were comprised by Turkey (31,826 cases; 128 mln. roubles), Egypt (8127; 27.6 mln. roubles), and Thailand (1537; 14.1 mln. roubles). In total, the aggregate amount of travellers’ insurance compensations paid by ROSNO in 2009 equalled 372 mln. roubles.

The most widespread insured accidents occurring in the popular tourism destinations are acclimation (or the so-called "traveller’s sickness"); acute respiratory virus disease, otitis, and various cold-induced diseases and diseases resulting from the changes in nutrition and drinking patterns: gastroenteritis, upset stomach, and injuries.

The beginning of the second half of the year, with its natural cataclysms in the European part of Russia, has already affected the Russians’ consumer behavior and also had indirect effect on the travellers’ insurance market. "The latest trend is the growing volume of direct sales of travellers’ insurance policies (whereby policies are sold in ROSNO’s offices and not by tour operators). In July and early August, due to the abnormal heat levels and smog from forest fires, many large cities saw an increasing number of people willing to leave the country quickly and on their own. As a result, the quantity of tourists departing for easy-entry destinations has increased. At the same time, floods caused the tourist flow into Europe to reduce somewhat", comments Ms. Svetlana Schwab, head of ROSNO’s Travellers’ Insurance Department.