Winter holidays on the rise
My guest blogger reveals that winter sports holidays have risen in popularity this year. When compared to 2012, a new survey shows that five per cent more Brits are planning an exhilarating winter sports break in 2013.
According to a survey from ABTA – The Travel Association, 15 per cent of Brits will be jetting off for a winter break this year, up from 10 per cent in 2012. Snowboarding and skiing holidays are among the most popular, and almost half (44 per cent) of 16 to 24 year olds who said they were off in search of winter fun will be hitting the slopes.
The poll was also revealing about the most popular resorts for winter sports fans. Espace Killy in France was the most popular ski destination, followed by Trois Vallees, also in France. Sauze d’Oulx in Italy and Austrian resorts Kitzbuhel and St Anton made up the rest of the top five.
While destinations such as these will always remain popular with Brits due to their proximity to the UK, other emerging ski destinations are slowly creeping on to the radars of British skiers and snowboarders.
According to the ABTA research, adventurous travellers, who may also be looking to save money on their winter holiday, are heading off to places such as Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. The company also pointed out that Russia could see a surge in winter sports visitors as the city of Sochi prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.
With a rise in winter sports holidays generally comes a rise in personal injury claims for accidents – even the most experienced skiers and snowboarders can be caught out, and those who are new to the slopes are also vulnerable.
Leicestershire lawyers Bray & Bray offer their tips for dealing with ski accident and injury claims.
If you are planning on taking a winter sports holiday there are a few things that it is important to bear in mind.
1) Drinking or substance abuse could invalidate your insurance
If you take out insurance but then have an accident on the slopes you may find your insurance firm won’t pay out if you were drunk or under the influence of something else when the accident happened.
2) You can claim if you injure yourself and it’s due to the negligence of your resort/tour operator
If you were given faulty skis, or perhaps you took a snowboarding lesson and were injured due to your instructor’s inadequate teaching, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
3) You should make your claim within three years of your holiday
Life gets in the way sometimes, and before you know it you’ve still not started your claim months after your holiday. Just remember that in order for your claim to be taken on, you must make it no more than three years after your winter sports accident.
4) Make sure you gather as much supporting evidence as possible
Say you have an accident while skiing that is down to debris on the slope, or poor slope maintenance. In these kinds of cases a ski resort or a travel company could be liable for your injuries but you will need to be able to prove their responsibility.
If debris or poor maintenance caused your injuries ensure you take as many photos of the scene as possible – photos should show debris or rubbish on the slopes, or demonstrate bad maintenance of the area. This is vital as if you make your claim months or years down the line the issues that caused your accident may have been resolved.