Winter sports and travel insurance: a myth busted

13th December 2014

Remarkably few winter sports holiday result in disputes with insurers, despite a recent newspaper report. Here are the facts you can use to reassure your clients.

This winter the Association of British Travel Agents estimates that over 12 million UK people will take winter holidays. That’s the highest number for many years as the economy continues to recover. Yet the Financial Ombudsman Service receives just 4,000 complaints per year about disputed travel insurance claims. So only a tiny fraction of those heading for the snow will ever have a problem with their travel insurance.

The simplest and best advice, as always, is to choose the policy carefully, preferably with the advice of our expert team, and make sure your clients understand the policy wording before buying.

Our annual Multi-Trip Policy is a sound choice for all but the most specialist types of winter holiday, with cover extending to off-piste skiing and snowboarding as long as you are accompanied by a qualified professional guide. The policy also covers equipment including skis or snowboards, ski boots, ski bindings and ski sticks against accidental loss, damage or theft up to a value of £700 after deductions for wear and tear. If your client’s equipment exceeds this value, consider the possibility of covering it on their household contents insurance.

We also cover hired ski equipment for loss of deposit or reasonable repair costs charged by the hiring agent against the same perils up to a value of £250.

What about clients who wish to try the more extreme end of the winter sports spectrum such as heli-skiing, or going off-piste with expensive equipment? Check out the specialist policies designed for advanced and daredevil winter sports enthusiasts.

The weather is always a concern of course. So it’s good to know that our policy will pay compensation for piste closure caused by poor snow conditions between 1st January and 16th April in the Northern Hemisphere, and 1st July to 16th October south of the equator.