In February 2016, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) released key protection and advice surrounding ski safety. With this in mind, Airport Parking & Hotels (APH) has created a guide comparing ski safety regulations at some of the world’s most popular ski resorts to help safety-conscious skiers plan ahead. The research can be found in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website at www.aph.com/skisafety.
The research compares ski safety regulations at 14 ski resorts, including Breckenridge in Colorado, 3 Vallees in France and Verbier in Switzerland and compares any ski insurance offered and any call out costs for skiing accidents.
Ski insurance policies vary between each resort, with 12 of the 14 resorts included in the research offering specific ski insurance options for visitors. French resorts including Chamonix, La Plagne and Les Deux Alps provide the Carte Neige Insurance from £29 to £44, which covers medical and rescue fees for on and off-piste skiing and immediate replacement of lost lift passes. Alternatively, Verbier in Switzerland offer Snow Assist insurance for £3 per day or £66 per season which covers refunds for rescue costs, ski rentals, lift passes and skiing lessons.
The research also revealed that three of the resorts, La Plagne, St Moritz in Switzerland and Valle d’Aosta in Italy, charge a call out rescue fee. The fee varies from £140 at Valle d’Aosta to £569 at La Plagne. Additionally, in Vail, one of Colorado’s ski resorts, fees apply when a traveller has to be taken to hospital by ambulance, whereas rescues are free across the Mont Blanc Massif in France unless an airlift has to be called out to the scene of the incident.
When it comes to new tech, two of the researched resorts offer apps for skiers. The Italian resort Cortina d’Ampezzo boasts the ‘SkiCortina’ app including the resorts’ essential telephone numbers and ski slope details as well as displaying any risk of avalanches. Similarly, 3 Vallees resort offers the ‘3 Vallees’ app that helps travellers locate their fellow skiers within the ski area thanks to free GPS.
In terms of additional safety services offered, at Vail ski resort Mountain Safety personnel are dressed in yellow jackets throughout the day and can be found in high traffic ski areas.
