Skiers and snowboarders are being warned to purchase travel insurance before heading overseas and also to read the small print.
In addition, the dangers of drinking too much alcohol on strange slopes will be highlighted in a new Foreign Office campaign to reduce the number of holiday accidents . In a survey for the ‘Know Before You Go campaign’, over a third (42 per cent) of people in Scotland admitted to not taking out travel insurance for their winter sports trips.
More than half (58 per cent) of those surveyed were not aware that many travel insurance policies do not cover accidents that happen off-piste and only 24 per cent said they always read the small print.
Campaign spokesman Phil Lord said: “Winter sports come with risks but the fun can soon come to an end if you have an accident and are not insured . Many skiers will be unaware that their insurance may not cover them if they have been drinking alcohol or skiing off-piste . Medical treatment and repatriation can leave you thousands of pounds out of pocket. It’s just not worth the risk.”