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Off Piste Travel Insurance Tips for the Japan Ski Season

As someone who would never whip out her passport without knowing her travel insurance is all in order I am aghast when someone tells me they are travelling without it.

To me it’s not just about what would happen if my valuables were stolen or about replacing lost luggage, although it sure would be handy then. It’s how crazy expensive medical bills can be in foreign lands and how an accident abroad could potentially ruin me financially for many years to come.

A few years ago my travel insurance saved me from being severely out of pocket when I became too ill to go on a trip that was all paid for.

So far that’s the only time I’ve had to use it (pauses to touch wood) but there have been a few times when I’ve been in snowy situations where I’ve wondered if I’d need medical assistance before the end of the day.

Being very late to the whole skiing thing I’m not what you would a snow bunny. There’s lots of falling over when I strap those things to my feet and I’m much happier on a snowmobile.

Even when I attempted to ride a snow ‘bike’ thinking that would be safer I found myself hurtling towards the side of a cliff and was only stopped thanks to a large wooden planked fence. That one led to a few bruises, but I never thought I’d be so happy to hit a fence.

But while I’m a bit of a nervous Nellie in the snow, it seems a lot of my countrymen are not.

In fact some Aussies are so bold that they’re the worst rule breakers on the ski slopes of Japan, and the ones who need rescuing the most.

According to a new report from International Assistance Co.Ltd (INTAC) and World2Cover travel insurance Australians are by far the ones most likely to go off skiing in prohibited areas and get into accidents.

As in, 89% of cases are Australians.

When skiing the right travel insurance is a must

The report showed when it came to accidents in prohibited areas between December 2014 and April 2015 there were 69 Australians, with second place going to the UK with four Brits needing rescuing. 69 to four. I know we get competitive with the UK but this isn’t the one to win.

Putting possible hospital costs aside, according to the Ikenodaira Onsen Ski Resort the cost of being rescued from prohibited areas can be more than A$38,000 (3,245,000 JPY).

Even if these Aussies had travel insurance they may still have some big bills to pay as a lot of policies don’t cover off-piste or backcountry skiing.

Which is why it’s so important to read your entire policy carefully before getting adventurous on your holiday.

While it’s important to obey the slope rules World2Cover’s ski option in their new Top Cover policy will still cover you if you take a wrong turn and get yourself into trouble, as long as you’re still in view of the chair lifts and runs and haven’t gone completely rogue that is.

And their winter sports cover also covers you if you go off piste as long as you have a guide.  Which sounds like a sensible plan to me.

They also have unlimited medical and hospital cover when you’re travelling overseas, unlimited cover for cancellation fees, 24 hour emergency help around the world, new for old replacement of luggage and lots more.

And if you’re wondering why you haven’t heard of World2Cover before, that’s because they’re new. But the company behind them certainly isn’t. World2Cover is underwritten by one of the world’s top ranking non-life insurance companies, Tokio Marine Group and is their first Australian consumer brand.

To celebrate them starting out, they’re offering 20% off policies. All you have to do is enter the discount code AA20 at the World2Cover checkout.

This offer is valid until the 31st of March 2016 which fits in perfectly with the Japan ski season, though of course you can be heading off on a beach holiday somewhere and still take up the discount offer.

Happy travels, and may you be accident and incident free, but have that insurance ready to save you if things don’t go according to plan.

This post has been brought to you by World2Cover

You should always consider the Product Disclosure Statement and Policy Wording and your personal circumstances before making any decision about whether to acquire a travel insurance product. Adventures All Around does not and cannot provide any advice, opinion or recommendation about any insurance.

Fancy more travel insurance tips? You may like to find out about some common misunderstandings with credit card travel insurance, check out my renting an RV or Hire Car tips  or find out why your bags may not be covered by travel insurance  if you leave them to be taken care of in a hotel after checking out.

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