As many as one in three people will go on a winter sports holiday without sufficient insurance.
New research from Sainsbury’s Insurance revealed one-quarter of people intending to go on such a holiday will purchase a general travel policy, but may be unaware this is unlikely to be adequate. Many policies require winter sports cover to be specifically added on.
Furthermore, the study showed nearly one in ten (nine per cent) did not take out any cover at all for their trip.
Scott Gorman, head of Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Insurance, said: “Whilst most ski and snowboard trips go without incident, winter sports carry risks, which is why good quality winter sports cover as part of a travel insurance policy is so important.”
More than one in five said they were planning to take out a policy that did not include off-piste protection. Sainsbury’s said this was unwise, particularly if customers fully intend to ski or snowboard off the recommended slopes.
Obtaining a European Health Insurance Card was listed as a suggestion for winter sport enthusiasts, as three of the top five skiing destinations (France, Italy and Austria) were in the EU.