The ski season is well under way but alarmingly a million of us will take to the slopes without insurance.
It has been suggested that a million UK holidaymakers will go skiing this season without adequate insurance cover. What makes this statistic particularly alarming is that recent research by AXA claimed that:
- 30% of skiers and snowboarders are likely to make insurance claims at some point and
- 25% of them have suffered some sort of injury while on holiday in the past.
Why is this happening?
There are a number of reasons, one of which is simply ignorance of what insurance policies will or will not cover. Some people travel with the misguided belief that winter sports are covered under any travel insurance policy, which in reality they are not. In addition, the cost of insurance is also citied as another reason for people not taking out the necessary insurance.
Why skiers need travel insurance
As which? magazine state ‘A good travel insurance policy will cover up to £2m worth of medical expenses, will meet the cost of repatriating you to the UK if necessary and will also cover you for a variety of other needs that might arise in an emergency. For example, you’d be covered for personal liability in the event you caused an injury to another person, or damage to their property – which might prove particularly important to anyone taking part in winter sports on a crowded slope’.
What to look for in a travel insurance policy:
Firstly read my guide Seventeen tips to ensure you have the best travel insurance policy. One important thing to note is that your travel insurance needs to include winter sports cover, which is usually an add-on. So whether you are looking for a new travel insurance policy or reviewing your existing one here is list of things to check:
- Does the policy cover winter sports
- If so check whether there is a limit on the number of days skiing which are covered
- Check whether the full value of your equipment is covered for theft and accidental damage
- Check which winter sports are actually covered. Slightly more unusual ones (skidooing or going off piste for example) might not be. If they are then there may be caveats, such as the necessity of a guide
- Some policies might exclude accidents as a result of alcohol consumption – so check your insurers stance
- Does the policy payout in the event that the pistes are closed
(Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
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