Terrorist acts and natural disasters may be the most headline grabbing causes of death, yet ill-health and natural causes account for the majority of fatalities among overseas travellers, with a significant, though smaller percentage caused by accident or injury, of which road accidents, drowning, falls from balconies and skiing / mountaineering accidents are the most prevalent causes.

Leisure and business travellers could be inadequately insured when it comes to an unforeseen death overseas Those who are, may find their travel insurance excludes the cost of bringing them home, some travel policies may also exclude pre-existing medical conditions and death from risks such as terrorist attacks, extreme sports etc. Older travellers and those with health issues, for whom travel insurance may be unavailable or prohibitively expensive, are most at risk.

When a death occurs overseas, the costs of returning the deceased can be very expensive. Organising the repatriation is stressful and complex. When the worst happens, those responsible for the travellers, or the bereaved, are most affected. This could be your company. Your employee. Your responsibility.