According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office more Britons over 50 are heading abroad to try activities like bungee jumping, skydiving, abseiling, and swimming with sharks, and getting themselves into sticky situations.

The organisation reports that the number of Britons over the age of 50 visiting its offices abroad to request help has increased: “We have received data in annual consular returns from over 200 of our diplomatic missions across the world reporting a rise in consular cases of people over 50,” said the FCO. While issues such as lost passports are the cause for many, more and more want help to cover hospital costs in the absence of travel insurance.

“In our recent research we were surprised to discover that a massive 65 per cent of over 50’s asked didn’t take out travel insurance on their last trip and out of those, 47 per cent felt they didn’t need it,” said Steve Jewitt-Fleet from Consular Communications team at the FCO.

Coupled with undertaking more dangerous holidays, more over 50s are finding themselves in sticky situations.

“We have noticed an increasing number of over 50’s swapping relaxing holidays in Marbella for treks in the Himalayas. We would like to see more over 50’s being better prepared for their trips to ensure they are fully covered for any eventuality,” said Jewitt-Fleet.

A large proportion of travellers may not be able to obtain insurance due to prohibitive premiums on existing medical conditions - or simply because age and medical history precludes the ability to obtain cover. But there is little doubt that the over-50s market is the most lucrative and fastest growing.

Within a few years, the proportion of Britons over 50 years old will reach the 50 per cent mark for the first time, said Jim Clench, managing director of Saga. The company has 8.6m people on its database and Clench confirmed that many customers are now seeking more adventurous holidays in far flung destinations.

"We are now the Number One tour operator to Nepal and Borneo - and will be to Madagascar, Mongolia and Bolivia in 2007," he said.

Tony Wheeler, founder of Lonely Planet, who turns 60 this year said: “It is no longer all about two weeks in Spain or saving up for a cruise - we are the generation who thinks retirement is the chance to do all the things we ever wanted to, from safaris to sailing down the Mekong.”

In a bid to better educate older travellers, the FCO has launched the World Wise advice book with tips on how to prepare for adventurous travel and deal with incidents that occur abroad. You can download the guide here.

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