Increasing number of tourists and cruises visit the Falklands

With the reputation of the Falkland Islands previously synonymous with military activity, the region is now growing in popularity with tourists, with cruise travel insurance no longer seeing the location as high risk.

As one of the 14 overseas British territories and with a population of just under 3000, the Islands have their own banknotes, coins and stamps and rely upon agriculture, fisheries and tourism as their major streams of income. Maintaining a traditional island way of life, with the majority of the residents Islanders, the Falklands offer a tranquil holiday, ideal for those aged over 65 travel insurance no longer being a problem to obtain for the area.

The Falklands attract many visitors due to its abundance of wildlife, with many rarer breeds of seabirds taking refuge on the Islands. Many species of penguin including Rockhopper, King, Macaroni, Gentoo and Magellanic can be seen on the coastlines, along with three different types of breeding seal.

The Falklands offer the facility to arrive by airplane but many tourists opt to travel on their cruise travel insurance, with over 62,000 ships given permission to land in the 12 months prior to April 2009, with passenger numbers up to 3000 per party able to be accommodated. A number of shore excursions are available for booking, with a trip round the Islands often incorporated into cruises around the Antarctic and South America.

The geography of the Islands is rather hilly, with a number of hiking routes available, taking in both coastal areas as well as the inland peaks. Outside the main district of Stanley, some remnants of the war can still be seen with left over landmines still present. However, these areas are clearly marked, with no civilian casualties having ever been recorded. Nevertheless, straying from marked paths into fenced off areas could lead to any claim under either a backpacker, cruise or over 65 travel insurance policy being turned down.