UK travel insurance company, AA Travel Insurance, has warned UK skiers that they may be traveling to the snow with inadequate travel insurance. Many skiers purchase winter sports cover through their travel agent, when they are booking the trip. Research by AA Travel Insurance shows that 60% of travelers purchase travel insurance in this way.

AA Travel Insurance says this could result in inadequate or invalid cover. They estimate that at least 374,000 UK tourists may be traveling overseas without adequate travel insurance cover. When travel cover is purchased as part of the holiday package, it does not come under any regulations. This is different to normal travel insurance, which is regulated as part of the insurance industry, by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). When people purchase travel insurance from the insurance industry, then they can take any disputes to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is not the case with travel insurance purchased as part of a holiday package.

Th e other difference with travel insurance purchased as part of a package, is that the cover is not properly explained. A regulated insurer will ask questions and ensure that the cover provided is appropriate for the traveler's needs. When travel cover is purchased from a travel agent, travelers simply tick a box to say that they would like to include travel insurance as part of their package. Although terms and conditions may be written down on the form, they are often not read. One major problem for tourists is that they do not inform their insurer of pre-existing medical conditions. Not informing them of such conditions may invalidate any travel claims.

HM Treasury has announced a review of travel agents selling insurance. The Financial Ombudsman Service says that the travel insurance industry receives many complaints, but often they cannot be addressed because they are related to unregulated companies, such as travel firms, selling travel insurance.