Australians are travelling overseas at an unprecedented rate but are also taking more risks, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website.
A 2018 survey focusing on Traveller Behaviour found Australians took more than 10.7 million overseas trips in the last 12 months, which is up 13 per cent from five years ago.
The survey of more than 1,000 Australians travelling to South-East Asia in the last two years found up to 10 per cent of Australians are leaving the country without travel insurance.
Men under the age of 30 were the most likely to leave Australia without travel insurance.
This is despite, 82 per cent of travellers undertaking risky behaviour that was unlikely to be automatically covered by insurance, CEO of the Insurance Council of Australia Rob Whelan said.
"Those activities included riding jet skis, parachuting, hang-gliding and surfing. And complacency, unfortunately, is a big factor here," he said.
"Most of nearly a quarter of a million of Australians who flew to the region without travel insurance, did so, because they just didn't think it was important or didn't appreciate the risks they may be undertaking taking.
"About one in four Australians will jump on a scoot, moped or motorbike while in South-East Asia, yet few insurers automatically cover this high-risk activity."
Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne advised Australians to check out the Smartraveller website before travelling overseas.
