Approximately a third of holidaymakers place themselves and their belongings at unnecessary risk while on holiday. This "It can't happen to me" attitude means that thousands of British tourists travel without insurance or an awareness of basic safety guidelines.

In a survey carried out by Nationwide, it was revealed that around 36% of those who responded failed to secure things like passports and foreign currency; preferring to leave it on the bedside table. A large number of those asked admitted they prefer to keep their valuables - such as expensive jewellery - on their person instead of securing it in the safe. Many weren't even aware that their accommodation had a safe deposit box which they could use to keep things secure.

When asked about travel insurance, a large percentage said they didn't bother taking out a policy before a trip, not realising the repercussions if something were to happen. Travel insurance covers you in case you fall ill and need medical attention, it will cover the cost of replacing your belongings should your luggage decide to take a holiday of its own, and some policies can even insure you in case your holiday is cut short or cancelled by the agent. It needn't be expensive either; if you go away more than once a year you'd benefit from annual cover, which will insure you no matter how often you travel within a year. Single-trip insurance works out a little more expensive as a one-off, but worth it if you only plan on going away infrequently.

One of the main causes of British tourists falling ill is sun exposure. We're just not used to it. It's easy to forget to re-apply your suncream in the excitement of a holiday, but it must be reapplied every hour, and straight-away after bathing in the sea or a pool. And take a leaf from Spain's book and siesta between 11am and 3pm; the hottest part of the day when the sun can do the most damage.

Be careful of the food too; avoid salads and only eat cooked vegetables, and make sure you peel all fruit. While the tap water in most countries isn't actually dangerous, it's often at a Ph level our digestive systems aren't used to, so try to keep to bottled water. On the subject of drinks, try to keep your alcohol intake to a minimum, to avoid risk of dehydration. It's a good rule of thumb in any country to have one glass of water for every alcoholic drink, but especially so in hot countries. Buy a bottle of water and keep it with you at all times.

Finally; immunisations. Check with your doctor or local pharmacy to find out if there's a malaria risk in your destination country, or if any other immunisations are needed. Treatments for malaria vary in price from around £5 for a two week holiday - which needs to be started the week before you go and carried on for four weeks after your return - to around £70 for travelling to certain countries. While expensive, it's nothing compared to the cost of contracting malaria in a foreign country when you have no travel insurance!

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