Why Voyager Plus Travel Insurance Works Well for Winter Sports Travellers

Winter sports holidays are a popular choice for families, groups, couples and solo travellers alike. Skiing, snowboarding and other alpine activities offer excitement, fresh air and memorable experiences, but they also carry a higher risk of injury, travel disruption and lost equipment. That means customers heading to mountains or snow destinations need a travel insurance solution that recognises the unique risks of winter sports.

For insurance brokers, Voyager Plus Travel Insurance offers a practical way to support these customers, with clear benefits, flexible add-ons and cover that fits both occasional winter travellers and those heading to the slopes more regularly throughout the season.

This article explains how Voyager Plus supports winter sports travellers and why it gives brokers a reliable product to recommend during ski season.

Winter Sports Can Increase the Likelihood of Claims

Unlike standard beach holidays or city breaks, winter sports add additional risk exposure:

• Increased medical injuries from falls or collisions
• Risk of serious harm due to cold-weather injuries or accidents
• Lost or damaged equipment
• Resort or piste closures caused by lack of snow or adverse weather
• Delays caused by weather at ski airports
• The need for piste rescue if someone is injured on the mountain

That’s why many standard travel policies either exclude winter sports completely or provide very limited support unless customers buy a specialist add-on. Voyager Plus offers an optional Winter Sports Extension, which adds winter-specific protection alongside the core travel benefits.

Emergency Medical Expenses — Including Piste Rescue

The core Voyager Plus policy includes up to £10 million of emergency medical expenses on certain levels of cover. When the Winter Sports Extension is added, this includes:

• Medical treatment for injuries sustained while skiing or snowboarding
• Piste rescue if medically necessary
• Repatriation where medically required
• In-resort hospital treatment

Piste rescue is an important feature because many customers do not realise that being taken off the mountain by a professional rescue team can be expensive and is not always included by default in other travel insurance products. Similarly, this is something that would not be covered under a GHIC, hence the importance of Travel Insurance when going on a Winter sports holiday.

For brokers, this becomes a clear talking point: customers do not need a specialist ski insurance brand — they can use Voyager Plus with the winter sports add-on and still access medical cover suitable for ski resorts.

Delayed or Closed Pistes and Avalanche Closures

Winter sports travellers are particularly exposed to weather disruption. Resorts can close slopes due to:

• Lack of snow
• Storm conditions
• Fog
• Avalanche risk
• Mountain rescue operations

When a piste closure prevents skiing, customers may be able to claim a daily benefit, helping offset the cost of unused lift passes or prepaid ski lessons, depending on the level of cover in the policy wording.

This makes the winter sports add-on easy to explain: if the resort closes the slopes for safety reasons, customers have protection for the disruption.

Please note though that this cover is only valid for the period 1st December to 31st March and is not available on Long Stay policies.

Loss, Theft or Damage to Ski Equipment

Lost or damaged equipment is a common issue on ski holidays. Problems can occur due to airline baggage handling, theft in resorts, or damage during transit. With the Winter Sports Extension, Voyager Plus can provide cover for:

• Loss, theft or damage of ski/snowboard equipment
• Loss or theft of Hired equipment
• Ski equipment delayed in transit

For families and regular skiers, this reduces out-of-pocket costs if something goes wrong with their gear.

Ski Pack Cover

Another feature of the winter sports add-on is Ski Pack cover, which helps travellers recover costs for:

• Pre-paid ski hire
• Lift passes
• Tuition fees (such as ski school lessons)

If a customer becomes ill or injured and cannot continue skiing, they may be able to claim for unused ski pack benefits. This is particularly helpful for families, where ski schools often need to be booked in advance.

Cover for a Range of Ski and Snow Activities

Voyager Plus includes more than 100 activities as standard, but skiing and snowboarding require the Winter Sports Extension. Once added, travellers are covered for common snow-sport activities permitted on resort pistes.

This allows brokers to confidently support customers heading to:

• European ski resorts
• North America
• Japan
• Glacier summer skiing

Customers who go on multiple ski holidays per year might prefer the Annual Multi-Trip option, which allows for 21 days of winter sports trips in the year, while occasional skiers or those needing more than 21 consecutive days can select Short Stay Single Trip cover.

A Fit for Families and Groups

Winter sports holidays often involve children or large family groups, which can make logistics complex. Voyager Plus offers several features that appeal to families:

• Kids go free on family annual multi-trip policies
• Family members can travel independently (great for school skiing trips)
• Activity cover suitable for family-friendly ski holidays
• GPonDemand included, providing access to NHS-trained doctors via phone or video while abroad

For parents, this can reduce anxiety. If a child is unwell or injured, access to medical advice while overseas is reassuring.

Why Brokers Can Position Voyager Plus with Confidence

From a broker perspective, winter sports customers often ask the same questions:

• Am I covered if I get injured on the slopes?
• What if the resort closes and I can’t ski?
• What happens if my skis or snowboard go missing?
• Do I need specialist insurance?

Voyager Plus offers clear answers to each of these concerns. With a straightforward winter sports add-on, customers gain access to medically-necessary piste rescue, ski equipment cover, ski pack protection and benefits for piste closure.

Since it sits on top of a well-established travel policy with strong medical, cancellation and baggage cover, brokers don’t need to sell a separate standalone ski product — they simply add winter sports to Voyager Plus.

Annual Multi-Trip Policies for Regular Skiers

Many winter sports travellers take more than one ski holiday per season. Booking separate policies each time can be costly and inconvenient. With Voyager Plus Annual Multi-Trip:

• Travellers are covered for multiple trips across the policy year
• Winter sports can be included (up to a maximum of 21 days per year)
• Cover applies even if travellers ski with friends or school groups
• Kids can travel independently on family annual policies

For brokers, this creates an opportunity to help customers save money while keeping their cover active throughout the season.

If Brokers have any questions on the Voyager Plus Travel Insurance Winter Sports they can contact our Broker Support Team on 01483 562 662 or email enquiries@voyagerins.com.