Only 1 in 10 travel policies include Ski Cover, leaving thousands uninsured on the slopes this winter
Experts urge travellers to check their cover before hitting the slopes this ski season
New analysis from Go.Compare Travel Insurance reveals that less than one in 10 single travel insurance policies cover winter sports as standard, leaving potentially thousands unprotected on the slopes this ski season.
The comparison site reviewed 923 single-trip and 923 annual travel insurance policies on Defaqto and found*:
- Only 6% of single-trip policies and 11% of annual policies include winter sports cover as standard
- Eight in 10 (82%) single-trip policies and just over seven in 10 (76%) annual travel insurance policies offer it as an OPTIONAL extra
- One in 10 (13% of annual and 12% of single trip) don’t offer ANY cover options
Winter sports cover is designed to pay for the extra medical expenses you might need if you injure yourself on the slopes or fall ill while abroad, which a standard travel insurance policy might not offer. Some winter sports policies could even help fund rehabilitation physiotherapy when you return home.
Go.Compare’s research also shows that many Brits aren’t checking whether they are covered before they take to the slopes. The comparison site of those who have been on a winter sports holiday just 13% bought a specialist winter sports insurance policy, while 11% relied on an annual policy they thought covered them, but hadn’t checked.**
The analysis also revealed that over a third of travel insurance policies don’t replace hired ski equipment if it’s lost or damaged (41% of single-trip and 38% of annual policies).
Cover for piste closures also varies widely - 4% of single trip policies provide no compensation if ski areas close, while four in 10 (39%) cover £400 or more.
Rhys Jones, spokesperson at Go.Compare Travel Insurance said: “It’s easy to assume your travel insurance will protect you on a ski trip, and if you’ve got an annual policy in place, you might forget to check the conditions before you go. But as our analysis shows, this could be costly.
“It isn’t just about whether you’re covered if the piste is closed due to too little or too much snow, or if you lose your ski pass, having a specialist insurance policy in place means you’ll be protected if you injure yourself on the slopes. While standard travel insurance does cover some medical expenses, getting medical aid to someone injured on a mountain and recovering them is a more complex situation, often involving mountain rescue, and therefore costing more.
Rhys adds though, that there are limits: “Extreme winter sports like heli-skiing or competitive sports won’t be covered, though, and if you take to the piste after some pints at apres-ski or stray from the piste and get injured, your insurer could refuse your claim. So, remember to be responsible and stay sober on the slopes!”
To learn more about winter sports travel insurance, visit here.
Contact Information
Rubie Barker
Notes to editors
*Defaqto analysis of 923 annual and 923 single-trip travel insurance policies on 10th November 2025.
**The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2001 18+ UK nat rep. The data was collected between 04.11.2025 - 07.11.2025. Of these, 996 have been on a winter sports holiday. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
For further information please contact:
Email knock.knock@fdcomms.co.uk
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About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.