There is a large block, however, on the road to businesses in the tourism industry lowering their prices, that is, insurance cover. Insurance is not an optional extra for people who operate in tourism. They cannot open a business without it and while it goes without saying that insurance costs are not the only reason for our relative lack of competitiveness, it appears clear that the price of premiums is a significant factor. All sectors of the industry are concerned about the cost of insurance and the level of concern appears to be increasing with each passing year. The problem is not helped by the fact that in a large proportion of cases the increase in premiums has not appeared warranted.