Coronavirus: Can I cancel my holiday due to the outbreak?

Association of British Insurers tells STV News what people are entitled to if a holiday is under threat.

The UK is continuing to work on its response to the coronavirus outbreak after more than 300 people, including 23 in Scotland, were diagnosed with the disease.

However, with thousands of cases of Covid-19 confirmed in places such as Italy, France and Spain, many holidaymakers are getting anxious about how this could affect their upcoming trips.

The outbreak is biting hard on the travel industry – with holidays being cancelled by worried passengers.

But when it comes to insurance, industry bodies are warning that fear of travelling during the spread of coronavirus isn’t enough to claim on your policy.

Alasdair Ross from the Association of British Insurers tells STV News what people are entitled to if a holiday is under threat.

He said: “In the current coronavirus situation, the best advice is check with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on advice on whether it’s safe to travel to the country and then check with your travel insurer to make sure you have the level of cover that you need.

“If your trip is cancelled by somebody else, the tour operator, airline or somebody else, you may be entitled to a refund.

“If you decide to cancel the trip yourself and it’s not part of the FCO’s Against Travel Advice criteria, it’s unlikely travel insurance is going to pick up the cost for you.”